Black Eyed Susan
by Ivan.Glee
Summary: A terror attack occurs on a preschool, covered up to look like a hostage situation gone wrong. Detective Sato is hell bent on arresting the men responsible for her daughter's death. When it begins to take its toll on her mental and physical health, she finally caves, realizing that this is much bigger than she can handle alone. A darker plot in the making unfolds.
1. Prologue: Begonia

**A/N: Ivan, here! Still trying to figure out if I wanna add more to the prologue or jump right into the story, letting you guys put the pieces together yourselves ;) It all depends on if I gather enough interest. Have fun, and please review!**

* * *

 _ **"She's got eyes of the bluest skies**_

 _ **As if they thought of rain,**_

 _ **I hate to look into those eyes**_

 _ **And see an ounce of pain-"**_

"What the- for real? They still make ringtones like that?" Hitomi snickered behind her hand, listening to a few more lines of _Sweet Child O Mine_ as the call went through. Her dad had always been a fan of classic rock, and to say the song he chose as her ringtone was fitting was an understatement. She wasn't sure if anyone else would even know the classic 80's hit from America. He had always been weirdly in to American culture.

 _"My darling girl! To what do I owe the pleasure? You're not busy right now, are you?"_

"Hey, Dad! Nope, finally had some downtime so Nao-Senpai and I stopped for lunch at the convenience store downtown. It's beautiful today, the cherry blossoms are everywhere! Oh, we're listening to a show right now, too. Apparently, some group of thugs tried to rob the national bank in Shinjuku. Sounds like it was a real detailed operation. Thankfully though it's wrapping up now."

Naomasa leaned into her side, shouting a greeting to the man on the other line while Hitomi laughed and swatted him away. Her father greeted him with a hearty laugh in turn, before getting back to business once more.

 _"They don't need any back up, do they?"_

"No, Dad, they don't. So, don't get any ideas. You're still recovering from your last surgery, you should be thinking less about work and more about kicking up your feet."

 _"Bah. You know I hate doing that. Besides, I'm fine! As long as I'm only working three hours a day I'm not pushing things too badly!"_

"That's not the _point_. You shouldn't be agitating your stitches. Or your _anything_ , really. I know it's hard to give up something you've loved for so long, but you should consider retiring now."

 _"It's not about me loving my job or not, you know I can't do that. Not yet, Hitomi. I need to find a successor first."_

"What happened to UA considering candidates for you? Have anyone's names come up yet?"

 _"No... I just don't want to pass the torch to just anyone. I'm sure there are plenty of promising young individuals who will make equally promising heroes one day. But I want to bestow it upon someone who deserves it, at the right place, at the right time. Not because my hand was forced."_

She sighed. 'With great power comes great responsibility' never held truer than it did in her father's case. Not to say she didn't understand, however, there were more pressing issues at hand. Ever since his accident four years ago, everyone closest to him knew his hero days were numbered.

"I know, Dad. But there's no such thing as the right time and right place. If you leave it up to chance... it might be too late."

 _"Humph. You sound like Nighteye."_

"Well, Uncle would know better than anyone, now wouldn't he?"

There was a pause. It was the first time she ever acknowledged his mortality. Back when they'd first heard the news, Hitomi had rejected Nighteye's vision vehemently, arguing that they didn't know for sure when it would happen, that it could have been a long way off yet. Of course, prior to that she hadn't even known anything about his power or what he'd been working towards up until that point. She was younger then and thought her Dad, the number one hero, was indestructible. Learning the truth about his power changed a lot of things for her. Maybe knowing that even she was beginning to reconsider her stance, it would put things into perspective for him.

 _"...I considered giving it to Seijo, you know."_

She laughed, the sound bittersweet. Seijo would have made an excellent hero, for certain. He had been the one who finally pushed her to join the police department and convinced her to take the detective's exam, as well as Naomasa. It had been three years since he passed. If not for Yui, she didn't know if she'd have been able to go on without him. Thankfully, he'd given her their beautiful little girl before he left. It was all thanks to her that Hitomi had the strength to carry on.

"If Seijo were still here to hear that himself he'd have a heart attack! To think, his hero, his inspiration passing on his legacy to him. That dork wouldn't even know what to do with himself if he suddenly gained a quirk!"

She heard bags rustling and a strangled noise, along with a clattering that, she assumed, was him nearly dropping his phone.

 _"Ah, Hitomi, shush! Don't say that in public!"_

"Relax, no one even knows who you are other than Nao-Senpai. And anyway, its surprisingly dead right now for a lunch rush."

He grumbled.

 _"I suppose... I'm changing the subject now, did Yui get my present?"_

Hitomi beamed. She imagined her adorable little girl with her curly chocolate pigtails, cute pink dress and shoes, dancing around happily at Mommy's feet when Pop-Pop's present came in.

"Yes! Oh my God Dad, she looks so cute in it! The pink Mary Jane's are her favorite, though. She insists on wearing them every day!"

 _"Ah, wonderful! It warms this old man's heart to hear!"_

"Please dad, you're not even fifty."

 _"And just look at me! You'd never know otherwise!"_

"...Seriously, that's depressing. Stop that."

He guffawed, then stopped and erupted into a coughing fit. Hitomi bit her lip, waiting patiently for him to get the wet hacking back under control.

"Are you okay? That doesn't sound any better than it did last time."

He didn't say anything at first, likely cleaning his mouth. He had begun coughing blood since his accident, and each time she saw him it got worse and worse. The doctors said it was common, given the extensive surgeries he'd had on his stomach, and that it wouldn't affect him too much. Coughing blood, in her humble opinion, really didn't seem like a 'common' symptom, however.

 _"Never better! The last surgery went remarkably well. And I've been taking my medicine, yes, Mother."_

"Haha, well I am a mother. Worrying is what I do best."

 _"Any who, I would love to see Yui again. Are you free tonight? I bought enough ingredients for sukiyaki. We still haven't celebrated your promotion yet, Detective Sato!"_

"Excuse me sir, Detective Sato was my husband and a great man, but my friends call me Hitomi."

 _"Bahaha! Well, it's an honor to be considered your friend. But take the title, you've earned it. And I'm sure Seijo is just as proud of you as we are."_

"I sure hope so, Dad."

 _"I know so! Now, Sukiyaki, dinner, your place, six o'clock? Invite your mother too, we'll get the whole family together!"_

"Of course, Dad! That'd make me and Yui both very happy! And I'll leave you to call Mom, you've been avoiding her lately and she's getting anal about it."

 _"Eh? Who's avoiding who? I've tried to call her back but it's like playing phone tag with a ghost! Honestly if that woman is so worried tell her to drop by the apartment anytime, since she wants to use you as a liaison. It's not like we're strangers."_

"Man, are you sure you guys were never married? Cause you certainly bicker about one another like a married couple."

 _"Your mother is a wonderful woman, Hitomi, but dear lord if we'd ever actually gotten married we would certainly not be as friendly as we are now."_

"Ha, you make a good point. Anyway," She started, dragging out the word, "sukiyaki at six sounds great. Hang on-"

She tucked the cellphone into her shoulder. "Senpai, we're having sukiyaki as a sort of belated celebration tonight. Wanna come?" Hitomi asked, turning to her right to see that Naomasa had moved to the driver's side to fiddle with the radio.

"I don't have anything going on tonight. Are you sure it's okay though? I don't want to intrude on your family time."

"Oh please, Senpai. You're already family, otherwise I wouldn't even offer. I'll make a spot for you."

He smiled brightly. "Alright, I'll drive us back after work."

Hitomi returned the gesture before returning to her phone call.

"Nao-Senpai will be there, too!"

 _"Excellent! It's been a while since I've seen him. Last I spoke with him he was starting some sort of investigation into the rising villain activity in the area?"_

"Yeah, something like that. Nothing concrete, just speculation, but I'll let him tell you more himself."

A muted noise behind her caught her attention. Turning to face Naomasa again, she did a double take when she saw the look on his face. His eyes met hers, wide and panicked. "Hitomi, you need to hear this."

"Shit, hold on Dad there's an emergency coming through- let me call you back-"

But before she could hang up, Naomasa turned up the volume as a distinct message sounded over the radio that made her blood run cold.

 _ **"HOSTAGE SITUATION AT ACORNS TO OAKS PRE-SCHOOL IN MUSUTAFU. SUSPECTS ARE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS."**_

"... _Christ..._ _ **shit**_ , Dad, don't-"

The line clicked over and disconnected. A sense of dread pooled in her stomach. There was no way he hadn't heard it, and that meant there was no way he was going to just ignore it. This wasn't any random screwed up hostage situation.

That was Yui's preschool.

As if that weren't bad enough, another message came through. This one made Hitomi shout out a curse and bark at her senior to _get in the fucking car and haul it_. In any other situation, Naomasa probably would have been a little put off by this, but as if her mother bear instincts kicking in weren't bad enough, the message felt like a punch to the gut to him, too. Something wasn't right, and they both knew that not just any ole criminal off the streets would have the information, resources, or sheer _gall_ to make a demand of this caliber.

 _ **"HOSTAGE NEGOTIATORS ON SCENE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE SUSPECTS ARE DEMANDING THE PRESENCE OF ALL MIGHT. I REPEAT, THEY ARE DEMANDING THE PRESENCE OF ALL MIGHT."**_

* * *

Somewhere on the other side of the city, citizens were suddenly knocked aside when a sudden shock wave hit the ground, leaving it its wake a large crater, as well as a pile of what used to be an old flip phone and groceries for sukiyaki.


	2. Chapter 1: Black Bryony

**I'm bumping the rating up to mature due to Atsuko's language and suicide mention in this chapter. Just figured I'd give a head's up. The point of this fic is to make it as raw and real as I possibly can. There are plenty of stories about OC's losing family members out there but I've never seen any about them dealing with the loss of a child. I wanted to bring something new to the table, and make this more of a piece about grief and healing than anything else. Eventually (If you like extremely slow burn then this is for you) there will be a pairing thrown in but right now, it's about Hitomi and family's journey of self help and mental health while seeking justice for what happened. That said, reviews are always a pleasure! Please let me know how I'm doing so far and as I continue. I strive to make this as great as I possibly can, and my viewer's thoughts and opinions will definitely shape things as we delve deeper. Enjoy!**

* * *

All was white. Not bright, just white. As if someone had painted her vision with naphtha. Was she dreaming? Was she awake? This open abyss made her more nervous the longer she stared into it.

 _But what am I even doing here?_ She asked herself. She wasn't sure if it was aloud or in her mind.

She realized then that she was immobile. Her arms and legs wouldn't cooperate, no matter how she willed them to move. Her mind raced a little faster, panic beginning to set in, when she felt pressure on her face. She flinched and realized that she could at least move her head. It still felt as though she wasn't on any plane of existence though.

A soft wind caressed her face, carrying with it a soft whisper that she couldn't quite hear. And with that, the white abyss began to shudder and fade.

She could feel her arms again. She yanked them to reach up and touch whoever was standing beside her, but still couldn't move them. There was something tying her down…

The person, she now registered as she came to, said something but it sounded as though they were underwater. She tried to speak again, but she gagged. There was something in her mouth. She began to struggle, panic blooming in full now.

"… _tomi… ca…"_

The voice was a little clearer now, and the white had dulled enough that she could make out shapes. But her eyes were watering and _fuck,_ _ **fuck**_ _I can't_ _ **breathe**_ _-_

And then there was bliss. A warm sensation like floating on water. It made her panic disappear and left her limbs tingling and limp, but her vision and hearing were still slowly improving. This time, she did see something bright. The light of a doctor's flashlight.

"Detective Sato, can you hear me? Blink twice if so."

His voice was still muffled, but she could make out what he was saying this time. She gave two blinks, albeit very slowly. The light clicked off, _thank God_ , leaving spots in her vision.

"Good, she's responsive. Detective Sato, you're in the ICU of Musutafu General Hospital. My name is Dr. Hisakawa."

 _ICU?_ She thought. _What the hell happened to me?_

"Do you know why you're here, Detective? As before, twice for yes, once for no."

She blinked hard. She couldn't remember anything; her mind was too hazy and whatever the hell they drugged her with wasn't helping.

"Doctor," An alto voice spoke to Hitomi's right. "Can we skip the questions until after she has the intubation removed? I think it would be best to let her relax for now."

The doctor nodded. "Very well, ma'am. I'll leave you two for the time being. I'll be back in an hour to check her trachea and determine how soon we can do that."

 _My trachea? Did I get attacked? Did I choke on something?_ Her eyes zipped around the room, trying to find something to lock on to.

"Thank you," The alto voice said, suddenly leaning toward her and cupping her cheek to capture Hitomi's wandering eyes. She wasn't wearing her red lips or her smoky eye shadow, and her normally bouncy, shiny burgundy curls were piled on top of her head in what equated to a rat's nest. Her eyes were sunken in and bloodshot, red at the rims from crying, making her lavender eyes even more luminous than usual.

 _Mom!_ Recognition dawned on her, and her heart clenched seeing her usually well-groomed mother in such a state of disarray. Her leather jacket had been replaced with a baggy crew neck sweater, and her straight cut jeans were swapped for a ratty pair covered with old paint and holes. Her normally colorful tattoos, peeking through the holes and her sleeves, seemed dull against the grey sheen of her skin. She looked worse than Hitomi felt.

"Hi, baby girl," She croaked, caressing stray blonde strands away from Hitomi's face. "You've been asleep for a few days, but I have been taking care of everything, okay? The police captain gave you paid leave until you're feeling better."

Hitomi had to think for minute. She just needed to get this tube out of her throat and find out what happened to her and she could go back to work no problem. Usually the captain gave them a set time frame to come back. Surely, he'd be expecting to give her one once she understood her condition better. There was something she had to do… but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Now that she thought about it... something was off.

She turned her head as best she could, to look at her mother properly. For all her doting, she wouldn't look Hitomi in the eyes. Was she feeling guilty about what happened? Did she look worse than she thought? Hitomi made a noise to get her attention. If she just looked at her, she could use her quirk to-

"Um, I need to go talk to the nurse for a minute," She said frantically, shooting to her feet so fast that the wooden chair she'd been sitting in screeched and almost fell backward. She practically ran out of Hitomi's field of vision, leaving her even more distressed and confused. She must have gotten roughed up worse than she thought.

As she stared at the ceiling, listening to the beeping of the machines she was hooked up to, another thought wiggled itself to the front of her mind.

Guilt and sorrow were normal for a parent to feel when their child was hurt, but when she ran out of the room, her mother looked scared. As if she knew what she'd intended to do and left before she could. She was hiding something for sure, and she didn't want Hitomi using her quirk and seeing it. Hitomi's stomach ached with nerves, and she tried to shut that thought out. _Whatever happened, mom's probably just trying to keep me from reliving it. That's probably best for now. I should just be patient and wait for her to tell me herself._

" _You've been asleep for a few days, but I have been taking care of everything, okay?"_

Hitomi would have huffed if she'd had any control over her respiratory system then. She'd always been a very independent girl, and the thought of others taking care of her had really bothered her. Especially if it was her Mom, considering Hitomi was the one who did the caretaking most of her life. Ever since Hitomi moved out, her Mother had been doing better, and had been a much more responsible adult than she was when Hitomi was a kid. Hitomi always did the cooking and cleaning while her mom worked at the tattoo shop, the diner, and the nursing home, making whatever she could and splurging half of it on her alcohol dependency. When she found out she was going to be a grandmother, it was like something clicked within her. She hadn't touched a drop since she'd found out Hitomi was pregnant with Yui.

The heart monitor spiked for a second, startling a nearby nurse enough to step in and check her vitals quickly. Hitomi did her best to control herself. Her mother said she had everything under control, she was sure Yui was being watched over. Maybe even with her Dad or Naomasa. Yes, that's right. Her Mom loved Yui to pieces, Hitomi was sure she'd see her soon, once she got out of these restraints and had the damn intubation removed.

And yet, something continued to gnaw at the corner of her mind.

* * *

 **Where's Dad?**

It was evening now, and they had already anesthetized her and removed the tube. Her throat was still very sore, and it hurt to speak, so her Mother gave her a pad and paper. Her restraints had been removed. She still hadn't figured out why they were on her in the first place, but she was glad for them when she woke up. She was too disoriented and would have tried to tear the breathing tube out. And if whatever caused her to have it put in in the first place didn't do her in, ripping something out of her throat most certainly would.

Her mother still wouldn't look her in the eye, but she was more composed than she was previously. Hitomi was lucid enough to write on a pad of paper to communicate and that seemed to relieve her considerably. When she took the note pad from Hitomi, a small tick in her cheek gave away that there was something else she wasn't saying. But she put on a practiced smile and tucked the pad back under Hitomi's palm.

"He's just gone home for the day. We're watching you in shifts. He'll be back tomorrow."

 **Did you fight?**

Her mother groaned, "God dammit I don't even have to look you in the eyes, do I?"

Hitomi tried to chuckle but wound up wincing.

"Well… You're the young prodigy of the police department so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But maybe you just know your father and I too well."

 **That, too.**

Her mother shook her head as she leaned back in the chair enough to balance it on its hind legs. "Hitomi… What- well… Do you still not remember anything about how you ended up here?"

Hitomi frowned and racked her brain for the hundredth time, but still came up empty handed. She shook her head, scribbling something on the note pad.

 **Was I attacked?**

She stared at the pad unblinkingly, leaning forward and taking Hitomi's hand.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Hitomi stared. The gesture seemed a little ominous. She thought on it, however, about what the latest memory she had was. She'd been asleep for three days from what she was told. She tapped her wrist with two fingers, and her mother pulled out her phone to show. It was June 1st. She vaguely remembered talking to Yui's teacher outside the pre-school, but she couldn't remember what about. It was sunny and cloudless that day, but the air was unusually chilly.

 **I remember talking to Yui's homeroom teacher. Where is Yui, by the way?**

She could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. Her mother didn't react right away, and even then, she barely reacted at all. It made a horrible, sticky dread slowly ooze its way into her chest. Her Mother's eyes noticeably dilated and she swallowed thickly.

And just like that, it was gone.

Her mother was back to normal, or seemed so anyway. Her mother was bad at hiding things and something in her face always betrayed her, but this time whatever Hitomi thought she may have seen had vanished entirely. Her mother smiled, without a trace of the tension she had seconds ago, and took the notepad away.

"Your father is watching her at home. We'll bring her by when you're feeling a little better, okay? I wouldn't want to scare her, seeing you like this," She stood up, leaning over and giving Hitomi a tight hug, one that made her wheeze and rasp. "Oh, shit! I'm so sorry, kiddo, I forgot about that!"

 _How the hell did you forget I had a collapsed trachea_ , Hitomi thought spitefully.

"Anyway, I'm going to go check out the cafeteria, do you want anything?"

Hitomi shook her head, pointing to her neck and making a face as if she were gagging.

"Ah, right I forgot. Liquids only for now. Well, I'll bring you back a smoothie, the cold will feel nice on your throat!" With that, she dashed out the door.

A noise chimed next to her, and she realized her mother had left her phone behind. Hitomi reached for it, and looked at the screen to see it was a text from her Dad. The temptation to open the texts and find out what the hell was going on was maddening. She managed to quash it, hitting the button on the side to turn off the screen.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the phone screen and paused. Bringing it up and angling it further, she looked at herself for the first time since she woke up.

Her skin was white and clammy, her eyes bloodshot and watery. A blood vessel had burst in her right eye, and her lips were a touch purple.

 _Yup. I guess a crushed windpipe will do that. Still not pretty, though._

She slowly brought the phone downward, and lifted her chin a little to get a better look at her neck.

No major bruising, but bruising still. One line across the underside of her jaw with lacerations that suggested struggle. Well, she could check choking on food off her list of possibilities now, and multiple lines would have suggested someone trying to strangle her with their bare hands.

She exhaled, setting the phone back on the table where she'd found it. Someone tried to take her out, then. She couldn't think of anyone, not right away. She'd only been promoted recently, it wasn't enough time to become the new age Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty. Naomasa would make a better Sherlock than her, anyway. There was Ienuma, the prick who lost his mind when a woman in her twenties got the position over him. He went out of his way to belittle and humiliate her at every turn, challenging her position whenever they crossed paths. But surely, he wasn't low enough to try to kill her? He was a dick, but he was also a traditionalist with a wife and kids, and even he had a code.

Hitomi shrunk down and pulled the covers of the hospital bed up over her shoulders, reveling in the warmth.

Whatever had happened, she would get to the bottom of it soon enough.

* * *

" _What the **fuck** , Toshi, you said you were coming today. I had to lie to her. I can't do this alone, she needs you too."_

"Atsu, I can't."

" _Bull shit you can't! Since when are you scared of facing a little girl?"_

"Hitomi isn't a little girl, she's a grown woman who's gone through too much in her short life. First it was Seijo's accident. And it was just that, an accident. But this was premeditated. Someone found out that I have a family and Hitomi paid the price for it."

" _You can't honestly believe that? You think this is your fault? Toshi, we went the extra mile to ensure Hitomi's safety. You surrendered parental rights, you didn't sign her birth certificate, there was nothing, and still is nothing, that proves you're even related to her."_

"There had to have been something. We missed something, someone from the media could have found us and leaked the information-"

" _Now you're just being paranoid! You have the entire police force and UA protecting your identity. You were never even around for any allegations to come up anyway!"_

"Why does it sound like you're accusing me now?"

" _I'm-,"_ She cut herself off, a choked noise sounding through the line, _"I'm sorry, Toshi. I'm just worked up right now, we all are. But I promise you, this isn't your fault. And if it is, it's just as much my fault. I know me just saying it won't change anything but Hitomi never once blamed you for what happened to Yui. If you'd just… If for once in your life you just stopped worrying about the worst possible outcome and be there for your daughter when she needs you most, you'll understand."_

"…Atsu, I haven't stopped thinking about what happened. She's better about controlling her quirk now, but what if she activates it and relives what happened? And not just her, I'll-"

" _Toshi, Jesus,"_ She sobbed out at the strangled noise he made. _"Toshi, talk to me. You can't just… Go through something like that and act like it didn't happen, or bottle it up. I can't- I don't_ _ **want**_ _to even imagine what that must have been like."_

He let out a shaky breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, sliding down the wall of his apartment until he sat on the floor. "I will, I promise. Just not now. I just… I need to process this. How is she holding up?" She didn't answer him, which struck him as odd. "Atsuko?"

" _She… Toshi, she doesn't remember how she got here."_

"God dammit," He spat, clenching his fist in his lap. "I- Who- how are we even going to explain that to her? How do you tell your own daughter she tried to commit-," He choked again, this time he had one of his coughing fits. He wheezed, reaching for the end table beside him and yanking a few tissues from their box.

" _Toshi, I'm not just saying you should be here for her. You should be here, too. This is affecting your health negatively. More so than usual."_

The tissues he'd pulled were soaked with blood. He grabbed more, wiping off his face and spitting the excess out into the fresh ones. "You're right. I can't let myself go. There's too much to do yet."

" _Also… The doctors said she had been without oxygen for almost a minute before she was found… It's a miracle she didn't come out of that with brain damage but… They said that amnesia was a common symptom when surviving asphyxiation."_

"Well… you said she doesn't know why she's there, right?"

" _Yes but that's-,"_ She drew in breath, and Toshinori felt what was left of his insides tighten in response _. "When she came to and had the tube removed she was acting… much more okay than she's been in a while."_

"Well, that's good isn't it? It means she's starting to cope with what happened."

" _I had thought so too initially but she seemed… largely unbothered by the fact that she was in there or conscious in the first place. I asked her what the last thing she remembered was. And then she asked me where Yui was."_

He felt cold. A dreadful, bone chilling cold that left him shaking like a leaf in the middle of June.

"What? What do you mean she asked you where Yui was?"

" _I mean, she forgot what happened. It has something to do with not getting enough oxygen to the brain, it can cause short-term amnesia. I thought her attitude about the whole situation was weird too. But like you, I thought this was just her way of coping with everything. She really doesn't remember everything that happened in the last week."_

"Oh. Oh no. Oh _God_ ," And with that, he broke. He set the phone down next to him and buried his face in his hands, curling into a ball and crying like a small child. In the back of his mind he wondered what the world would think of their great hero, broken and sobbing alone in his apartment like a pathetic wretch. He should have gotten there sooner, he should have just charged in and saved Yui instead of stopping for the police. He thought he was playing it smart. He didn't feel so smart after holding his dying granddaughter in his arms that day.

When he wiped off his face and picked the phone back up, Atsuko was crying too. "Atsu," he breathed.

" _Toshinori, I need you here too. I can't do this by myself. I'm sorry, I know I should be stronger for both of you. You've both been through hell this last week… but Yui was my granddaughter too… Our baby hurt herself and she doesn't even remember that her own child is dead. I can't tell her that, not alone. Please don't make me do this by myself."_

When she broke down and laid her heart bare like that, he remembered the days before Gran Torino and Nana. When he was a quirkless boy with a naïve heart that saw the good in everyone and everything. When everyone stepped on him and tried to crush his dream, yet a gorgeous girl with a foul mouth called him her hero and she made him truly feel like one for the first time in his life.

He remembered holding the tiny blonde bundle in his oversized hands for the first time, how her first cry filled him with equal parts unconditional love, pride, and paralyzing fear. How holding his granddaughter for the first time made him relive that all over again.

He remembered how Atsuko supported Gran Torino's idea for Toshinori to give up his position as Hitomi's father, for the sake of their family, in much the same way Nana had all those years ago.

He remembered how eighteen years later, the spitting image of his youth showed up on his doorstep after using every resource at her disposal to track him down. Wavy blonde hair piled in disarray atop her head, wearing an MCPD jogging suit, blue eyes that were equal parts his and her mothers were wild and wet.

He remembered the first time she was comfortable enough to call him Dad, and how she made fun of him for crying while doing so herself. He never cried more than he did over his darling girl.

He remembered the feeling of walking her down the aisle, something he never imagined he'd ever get to do. He had no problems giving her away to Seijo. He was a good man with a good heart, had proven that so many times. Seijo wore his uniform and his medals of honor on that day. _Perhaps he'd be a good choice one day_ , he'd thought when they finally said I do and skipped down the aisle like a couple of giddy teenagers. But after what he had to sacrifice for his family, somedays he thought he wouldn't wish this fate on his worst enemy.

He remembered consoling her after Seijo's car accident, leaving her and her three-month-old baby behind. She'd been angry, upset, said things to Toshinori that were spiteful and cruel. He took it all, letting her seethe and project her sorrows onto himself. He remembers watching Atsuko smoke a cigarette under the moonlight, fresh tattoos standing out against her pale skin, curls cropped to her chin. He'd been sad about that; her hair had always been beautiful. _"If this power of mine were any fucking good at all I could use it to soothe the pain in her heart. I don't know what to fucking do for her when she needs it most."_

He remembered babysitting Yui while Hitomi was working overtime and taking the detective exam, working to continue her husband's legacy and provide for Yui. He fed, clothed and cleaned her, getting to catch up on all the things he missed with Hitomi. He used to try to convince Yui to watch something other than Hercules for the sixteenth time that night _("But he's like you, Pop-Pop! He was all skinny then he blew up!" "That's… not quite how it works, Yui.")_ and wear something other than pink for the fifth day in a row for school the next morning. Then he bought her pink clothes to wear anyway because he was a Pop-Pop and dammit, she had him wrapped around her little pinky.

The floodgates broke open again because he had missed so much of their lives. He had so many good memories with them, and yet there were so many he missed, so many more he would have missed if Hitomi had succeeded in what she had tried to do a few days ago.

Atsuko had so many more memories, though. No matter what he'd been through with Hitomi in the six years he'd been in her life, Atsuko had to raise Hitomi during the most difficult times of both of their lives. In all his excitement to be involved with his family again, he had completely neglected the other half who it all started with, the person who carried everything by herself for eighteen years. This affected her just as much as it affected him, it wasn't a pissing contest over who'd had it worse when the obvious answer was Hitomi. He'd been too focused on himself, how _he_ felt about all of this.

"Atsu," he said, "A few weeks ago, you told Hitomi that I was avoiding you."

" _Oh shit,"_ she somehow managed to laugh a bit through her sobbing. _"She told you that? I was just venting, I didn't mean it."_

"No. You were right. I wasn't trying as hard as I should have been to keep in touch with you, I haven't been. But I'm going to change that. And I'm gonna start by going to the hospital and figuring this out with you. I'll be there in twenty."

" _Toshinori-,"_ He stopped himself from hanging up when he heard his name, bringing the phone back to his ear.

"Yeah?"

" _Thanks, shithead,"_ She muttered before hanging up.

He would have smiled, but his whole face and head hurt, and he wasn't much in the mood. He stood from the floor, wiping at his eyes. He picked his wallet and keys up off the table and headed for the door.

His phone rang again, and he fumbled with the touch screen before figuring out how to answer it. When he saw the caller information her exhaled, bracing himself to open his wounds again.

"Nezu. Yeah, I did. Something has happened with my daughter. She isn't doing well, and I think it's going to take some time before she's ready to get back on her feet. I'm going to have to decline your offer."


	3. Chapter 2: Mixed Zinnia

**To the guest who left me the first lovely review: Thank you so much! I am a fan of stories with a fair mix of seriousness and humor. I've always loved this series, and with the newest chapters getting fairly heavy, it sort of pushed me to finally put this one out there. I hope you continue to see this through with me! :)**

 **BartosBitch: Thank you very much! Hitomi's quirk will be revealed in this chapter, Atsuko's is sort of mentioned but will be brought up in detail later! :)**

 **This chapter is quite a bit longer than the others (6,000+ words wowee). I had a hard time trying to figure out where to go from here, but I promise things will start picking up now! Again, if you have any advice, questions pertaining to the story, or constructive criticism for me it is much appreciated. There's no where to go but up, and all of this will help me decide what direction to take everything in.**

* * *

When Hitomi was four, there was a teacher that she had been very close to at her preschool. She had long blonde hair, a shade or two lighter than Hitomi's, and she always wore long concealing clothes to school. Even in the summertime. One day at recess, Hitomi had approached her and asked her about it. It seemed an innocent enough question, and the teacher didn't seem bothered by it. She'd told Hitomi that she was conservative, which meant she just liked to dress politely, as she'd phrased it then.

But turtle necks, jeans, and boots didn't _look_ incredibly modest. Hitomi's mom wore them all the time and she didn't care about stuff like that. There had to be another reason, right?

And as little Hitomi thought that, the world suddenly turned blue, and the teacher's pupils glowed a pale yellow. It was almost as if Hitomi had been sucked into the teacher's eyes. Suddenly she was taller, her neck ached, and her head hurt a lot. There was a man standing in front of her, grabbing her throat and shaking her, saying words that only her mom was allowed to say. He grabbed her arms, kicked her legs, but she didn't feel it. Her vision was black around the edges, and fuzzy.

Then suddenly she was sucked back into the blue world through the pale-yellow light, staring up at her teacher just as before. The blue air faded, and her teacher screamed.

Her mom came and picked her up that day after spending an hour in the guidance counselor's office crying, not understanding what had happened or what the scary thing she saw was. Atsuko didn't say a word when she saw her. She just plucked her up, held her securely, and took her to the car. While buckling Hitomi into her booster seat she sat on the backseat beside her, wiping her face with a tissue.

 _"Mommy, there was a scary man hurting me."_

 _"No, sweetie, it's okay. He wasn't hurting you, he was hurting Ms. Hase," Atsuko chided, shaking her head._

 _Hitomi's big blue eyes got impossibly wider. "What? Why would he do that? She's so nice, does she have bullies?"_

 _"…Yeah, she has a bully. That's what you saw, Ms. Hase being bullied. It's because of your quirk, sweetie."_

 _She whipped her head around to her mother, loose golden curls flying everywhere, "I got my quirk? What is it? What did I do?"_

 _"It's called… well, I'll tell you later. It's a really big word. But it lets you see other people's memories, while also making them relive them."_

 _"Relive?"_

 _"It means to make someone live that memory all over again."_

 _"But… Your quirk makes boo boos feel better. So why do I have this one?"_

 _"It was your grandma's quirk, too. It looks like it skipped me and passed on to you."_

 _Hitomi bit her little lip, folding her fingers together on her lap. "I don't want a scary quirk like that, Mommy."_

 _"Oh no," Atsuko whispered, kissing her cheek. "Baby girl, it doesn't have to be scary. You can do nice things with your quirk, too."_

 _Atsuko took her chin and made Hitomi look her in the eyes, a small smile on her face._

 _"When I was a little girl, I used to get into trouble all the time. Your grandma would get so mad with me. She'd make me stand in the corner until I apologized. Sometimes it would take hours."_

 _"Hours!? Why would you wanna be in time out that long!?"_

 _Her mother erupted into boisterous laughter. "Mommy can be very stubborn. But whenever I went to apologize, she'd always give me a big hug and a kiss, and we'd sit like that for a long time." Atsuko's smile fell into one that was small and sad, but her eyes didn't leave Hitomi's. "I miss seeing her face and hugging her. She's an angel now, so she'll always be in Mommy's heart. But I always wanted you to meet her, too."_

 _Hitomi felt sad then, searching her mother's eyes. It was really confusing. Seeing her mother's expression made her want to know what it was like, to meet the woman her Mommy called Mommy._

 _And just as before, the air turned blue, and Atsuko's pupils glowed that odd lemony color, pulling Hitomi in until she was looking down at a stone fireplace, rocking back and forth with someone's arms wrapped securely around her._

 _She looked up, and a woman with delicate features and lavender eyes and hair smiled down warmly at her. She reached out, and tucked a strand of burgundy hair behind Hitomi's ear._ _ **"I love you, sweetie."**_

 _And again, as before, she was sucked back into her body by the light, the monochromatic air fading as color came back to the world._

 _Tears fell from Atsuko's eyes and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. She wasn't expecting herself to cry, she had intended for Hitomi to see her memories of her mother's face. But it had been so real, much more so than she expected. Her joyful feelings of seeing her Mother's face one more time quickly faded when she realized that Ms. Hase's memory was just as vivid, and a million times worse._

 _Hitomi wailed at seeing her mother cry. "See! It is bad, I made you cry, Mommy!"_

 _"Settle down Hitomi," Atsuko ground out, using a fresh tissue to gently squeeze Hitomi's nose. "I'm crying because I'm happy, not sad. I haven't seen your grandma in a very long time, and didn't expect to see her again for an even longer time. And you got to see her too, how beautiful and loving she was."_

 _Hitomi did settle as instructed, taking a few minutes to digest what she'd said._

 _"You need to be careful, baby girl. I know you didn't mean to pry into Ms. Hase's business, but if you don't keep your curiosity in check, it can be bad for both parties."_

 _"Mommy, she's being bullied. Shouldn't we help her?"_

 _Atsuko froze. Of course, a four-year-old wouldn't understand a domestic violence situation. Atsuko stroked Hitomi's hair, tucking a strand behind her ear (like grandma used to, Hitomi noted). "Hitomi. I know what it's like to want to stand up for someone who's hurting. But in this case, it would be better to just forget what happened."_

Hitomi didn't understand it, but she did as her mother said. Ms. Hase was still polite to her, but things were very awkward between them after that. They weren't as close as they had been before, and it made Hitomi sad.

She had to undergo extensive quirk counseling to learn how to control it over the years, and kept that secret until she was eighteen years old. She was a senior in high school when she found out that Ms. Hase had been murdered by her husband. Against her mother's insistence that she stay out of it, she went to the police and testified as a witness to the abuse that had gone on. That was where she met Seijo and Naomasa, the two detectives working on Ms. Hase's case. She'd told them about her quirk, and what she witnessed as a child. Naomasa had told her that without proper evidence, there was no way to prosecute him. They certainly wouldn't be able to do it on one young girl's word alone.

But then, Seijo had the idea to bring Mr. Hase in for questioning and having Hitomi use her quirk to pick his brain for any evidence they could find and use against him. Naomasa had been vehemently against it. Hitomi was just a teenager, and if she couldn't find anything they'd be endangering her. But all Hitomi needed was to make eye contact, nothing else. She could easily wear a mask, so long as they could look into each other's eyes. When she told them this, Seijo was ecstatically praising her for her idea. Naomasa was still on the fence, but humored the idea.

And so, Mr. Hase was called in, Hitomi wore a ski mask and baggy clothing to conceal her identity, and after asking the right questions she had him. She watched from Mr. Hase's point of view as he brutally murdered her. She even saw where he had hidden the weapon, and was able to tell them. They'd found it sure enough, and Mr. Hase was prosecuted and sent to prison.

For fourteen long years she had kept Ms. Hase's secret, and it ended up getting her killed. Hitomi felt guilty for a long time, even more so when she'd found out what happened. This was the only way she could think to clear her conscience, to make amends with Ms. Hase.

After the case, her mother had been furious with her. Naomasa and Seijo had taken her home after everything when Atsuko flew out of the house like a mad woman, going ballistic on her. Hitomi took it like a champ though, and had even told Atsuko that she could punish her in whatever way she saw fit, she stood by what she did and would do it over again if given the chance.

Atsuko surprised her, and likely the detectives, by laughing so hard she fell to her knees. The trio surely thought she'd lost her mind and would kill Hitomi. Instead, she embraced her daughter and cried about how proud she was of the incredible young woman she'd become. She invited the two detectives inside, and that one case sealed Hitomi's fate.

 _It was a grizzly time, but I helped Ms. Hase and met Seijo too_ , she though, smiling to herself. Seijo would stop by their home frequently after that. He'd ask Hitomi all sorts of questions about her quirk, about her dreams and what she wanted to do after high school. Hitomi had never given it much thought. She wanted to go to university for sure, but she never found something she was truly passionate about until then.

 _"Ms. Iyashino-"_

 _"U-Um! Sorry, Detective Sato! Y-You can call me Hitomi if you like!" Hitomi wanted to bury her face in the couch and die of embarrassment then and there. She'd been taking more of an interest in Detective Sato ever since they wrapped up the case. There was a short but discernible age difference between the two, and she knew he'd probably never see her the way she saw him, but at the very least she could try to close the distance between them a little._

 _"Haha, um… Okay, Hitomi. See, there was something really important I wanted to talk to you about."_

 _"Is everything alright?"_

 _"Oh, absolutely. I wanted to say that you are a brave young woman and your quirk gave us an advantage that helped us lock up a dangerous man,"_ Seijo had said. _"There aren't many people who would go out of their way to see justice served like that, but you did. I truly believe you have what it takes to be an incredible policewoman, and I would hope that you would consider taking the path to becoming a detective."_

 _"But… I'm not that athletic, I don't meet the physical requirements to go into the police academy," She'd said in turn, stomach churning in both anticipation and fear at the prospect of something so incredible._

 _"You're right. But it's not impossible. You'd have to work twice as hard as anyone. A small young woman would be looked down upon at the precinct."_

 _"I thought you were trying to make a compelling case here!?"_

 _"Haha, I am I am! Just hear me out. You would have to work twice as hard, but if you're willing you could knock those bonehead's socks off! Wouldn't it be great to go against every stigma, every crappy little ideal they have and turn their worlds upside down? Wouldn't you like an opportunity to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself? To help people in need, to help families of the deceased get justice? Since pro heroes came into the picture, police officers have been looked down on and seen less as protectors of peace and more like mall cops! I see in you something I never thought I'd see, Ms. Iy- Hitomi. You could be the first real hero the police department has had in decades. Honestly, I already think of you as one after what you did in the Hase investigation."_

 _To say she was flattered would be an understatement. She was positively floored. She had never even thought about being a hero, a pro or otherwise. Hitomi had always thought of herself as a weak girl, a nuisance to everyone, especially with her quirk. Yet here was someone who saw value in her ability, in her character. It made her heart swell even more for the man, a deep affection bubbling to the surface that went beyond a silly teenage crush._

 _Hitomi looked down at her hands, blushing furiously._ _"Detective Sato, do you really think I could do this? Are you sure?"_

 _He smiled, and his eyes almost twinkled behind horn-rimmed spectacles. For a minute there, she could have sworn that some of the affection she felt was reflected in his eyes as well. "With every fiber of my being."_

* * *

Hitomi shot up from the bed, startling the nurse beside her. A cold sweat gathered on her brow, her heart was hammering against her chest. The heart monitor that the nurse was presently reading was beginning to calm down as Hitomi's pulse regulated.

"D-Detective Sato, are you alright?" The nurse squeaked out. Hitomi turned to look at her, eyes still a little wide.

"Yeah," She breathed, swiping a hand through the front of her hair to brush it out of her face. "I, ah, just had a nightmare is all. I could use a drink, I think."

The nurse averted her gaze, nodding once when two new nurses entered the room. They brought in her breakfast and raised her bed, so she was sitting up. She took a sip of the orange juice, and pushed the cart away to be eaten later. She wasn't particularly hungry after that wake-up call.

Hitomi reached for the alarm clock next to her bed, a pretty fancy looking one, turning it around to check the date and time. Day three since she woke up and still, no one was spilling the beans on what was going on. She was well enough to speak now, albeit with some difficulties. She now had an oxygen tube resting below her nose and they had taken her I.V. out. The doctor came in earlier in the day to let her know that she was well enough to receive visitors, but she needed to stay there for a few more days to be monitored.

This wasn't the first time she'd been in the hospital, be it from stupid clumsiness, recklessness on the job, or just plain dumb luck. This was her first time in the intensive care unit, however. She knew that whatever had happened was considered traumatic, but she truly felt fine. She knew what she was getting herself into when she joined the police department and became a detective. This job wasn't the safest, police officers weren't always held in high regard, and she was bound to make enemies at some point. She had mentally prepared herself for this possibility long before she even entered the academy.

 _So why is everyone walking on eggshells with me? I'm not so fragile that they need to traipse around me like this_ , she thought bitterly as the nurses worked in unusually tense silence. She briefly thought about the nightmare she'd woken up from. She remembered hearing people talk to her in the dream, but not the specifics. Just that it had frightened her enough to spring up out of the bed and terrify the nurse. She frowned and scratched her nose sheepishly. _Then again, I guess I couldn't blame them after that._

One of the nurses asked her to lean forward and fluffed her pillows. Hitomi thanked him, accidentally making eye contact. The nurse quickly looked away, and tried to laugh it off as he fidgeted away from her.

"Excuse me," She called out to him. "Do you have any idea why I'm in here?"

"No, miss. They didn't tell us," He responded.

 _Ah_ , she thought, _that must be it then_. They knew about her quirk. She could only assume they must have read about it in her medical records. Retrocognition was typically defined as having knowledge of past events which could not have been learned or inferred by normal means, but the quirk itself was a little more complicated than that. It came in handy for the job, but Hitomi had struggled to keep a handle on it and come to terms with it earlier in life. She used to avoid making eye contact with everyone, afraid that if she got too emotional she would pry too deep into their memories, like she accidentally did when she first got her quirk. This made her a target for bullying and fear mongering, but after hours upon hours of counseling and self-control exercises for years, she'd had a good handle on it and wouldn't dare use it outside of work. The fact that they could even think she would do something so insensitive stung a little.

 _It's not like it was with Mom. They aren't afraid **for me**_ _, they're afraid **of**_ _me. But they don't know shit about me. I'm not like that._

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a man clearing his throat in the door way. She looked up to see Naomasa, following close behind was her father, wheeling an IV drip along. Hitomi sat up quickly, panic striking when she saw the sight of her father. He'd been emaciated since his accident, but he looked even worse than usual. Skin pallid, a sheen on his brow, and the skin around his eyes looked black and bruised. Naomasa asked the nurses to give them some time alone, and they obliged.

Hitomi swallowed thickly as she addressed him. "God, Dad, are you okay?"

"Ah! I'm well… just a tad anemic. I could ask you the same, you sound dreadful."

She smiled, shaking her head. "No, It's because of the breathing tube. It's common to have a dry throat and some irritation afterwards. They don't typically do it through the mouth unless it is a major medical emergency since it can cause trauma to the throat. Thankfully they say it should clear up in another day or two."

She looked at her partner then. "Nao-senpai," She said, "Did the captain give you a time limit on my medical leave?"

Naomasa swallowed, pulling out a handkerchief and swallowing as he dabbed his brow. "About that… There's no limit per say… The captain gave me strict orders to make sure you stay on leave for as long as you need it." He pulled out a chair for Toshinori next to her bed, accommodating for the IV while pulling a chair for himself. "I'm sorry about this, but I might be your prison warden for a while."

"My warden?" Confusion was clear on her face, a light brow raised. "But I'm getting better, aren't I? I honestly feel fine senpai, I could probably go back in a few days."

"Hitomi," he said, "We wanted to be the ones to tell you this, as you might take it better if it's coming from your family."

Her stomach twisted into knots. Her father reached out, placing his large bony hand over her small, lithe one. When she looked at him he made such a sad, pained expression, eyes screwed shut as his other hand gripped the pole of the IV drip to the point where his knuckled turned white. Hitomi placed her other hand over his, wondering what could possibly be wrong to have him so worked up.

"Dad… What happened? Why is everyone getting so weird with me all of a sudden? I'm not dying, am I?"

"No!" Toshinori all but shouted, gripping her hand tightly. "You're not. Definitely not."

"Then… why are you acting like I am…? What happened to me, Dad?"

Naomasa put a hand on Toshinori's shoulder, leaning over and whispering something to him. Toshinori nodded, exhaling and pinching the bridge of his nose with his other hand.

"Hitomi, you'll be okay. There's nothing…. _Physically_ wrong with you…" Toshinori started to say, "But something happened in the week that you don't remember that might be hindering your memory further. It would be easier to have a psychologist speak to you about it than to do this indelicately."

Hitomi couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Why do I have to talk to a shrink? Don't you guys think that I would know if something _that_ bad happened to me, even if I can't remember? If you're suggesting I have dissociative amnesia, that's something that's caused by severe trauma, and it takes a while to develop."

"Well," Naomasa cut it, "Yes, and no. We aren't entirely sure if it is as extreme as that, but the doctors have reason to believe that subconsciously… you don't want to remember or believe what happened. It's been three days since you woke up. You should have been having nightmares, or having some of your memories begin to return to you. We have nothing yet, however, and can't rule out the possibility until you speak to the psychologist."

"Well rule it out, because I had a pretty wicked nightmare this morning."

The two men tensed, Naomasa keeping his composure a little better than her father. "And… did you remember anything?" Naomasa asked.

"No, I forgot the details as soon as I woke up," Hitomi said. Her dad and partner released a breath of air that they seemed to be holding, much to Hitomi's chagrin. "Look, all I know is If something like that happened to me a week ago then I would remember it…" She trailed off when the two men's eyes wandered away from her face at those words. She released a frustrated noise, upset that now even her family were treating her as the nurses had.

"Okay, first, I'm not new to this. I know how to control my quirk and I shouldn't even have to explain myself to you guys. Second, I would ask you permission before I just picked your brains like that. Doing otherwise would be rude and a serious invasion of privacy. Third, when I signed up for this career, I knew what I was getting into. Whatever happened to me, I can handle it. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't treat me like glass and just tell me what is going on," She seethed.

 _But that's just it_ , Toshinori thought. _I can't. I can't do that to you. I can't watch you shatter into a million pieces all over again._ He bit his tongue despite the heated look Hitomi threw him. "I'm sorry, sweet heart. You're truly one of the strongest people I've ever met… If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't have ever been able to handle the things life threw at me the way you have. And I don't want you to think that I'm belittling you in any way."

"Then tell me, Dad," She sighed out, becoming a bit distressed now.

"The only thing that I can tell you is that… I was there. Not when you got hurt but… a little over a week ago, before all of this. Something god awful happened, and I can't, _I refuse_ , to make you live through that again. So please, for the sake of myself, your mother, everyone who's worried sick about you, please just wait until your mother comes back with the therapist and we'll tell you then. Please," He all but begged her, and to her astonishment, tears welled in his downcast eyes.

She gently pulled on his hand, making him lean forward so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. She embraced him gently, which he returned, burying his face in her shoulder. "Okay. I get it, Dad. I'm sorry. I'll wait, okay?" His behavior had really spooked her into defeat. She stared ahead, tense and trying her best not to tremble. Her dad, the symbol of peace and defender of justice just about cried on her shoulder, had begged her to listed to the professional. This wasn't the great and powerful All Might, who handled everything with a smile. This was Toshinori, the man behind that bravado. Even when walking around as a civilian, he carried some piece of his All Might persona with him. This weak, scared man that she was seeing for the first time was beginning to terrify her, a terrible foreboding feeling growing in her chest.

She looked as Naomasa, doing his best to look away from her and conceal a grimace of his own. "Just tell me… Am I gonna be okay, Dad?" Hitomi asked. She buried her face in his shoulder, hands gripping his baggy shirt tightly.

"I honestly don't know. But I'll be with you every step of the way, I promise. You won't go through this alone," He responded, stroking her hair with his free hand. The last time he held her like this was when Seijo had died, and the similarities were not lost on any of the three people in the room.

Two more additions came in then before Hitomi could dwell on that thought further, Atsuko arriving with a woman in a suit hot on her heels.

"Hey baby girl," Atsuko cooed, walking quickly to the other side of Hitomi's bed, scooting Hitomi closer to her father using her hip as she climbed into the hospital bed with her.

"Atsu, Jesus, let her have the bed," Toshinori grumbled, releasing Hitomi and shooting a weak glare at Atsuko.

"Hah? I wanna lay with her, and she moved over so I don't think she's complainin'," Atsuko shot back, raising an eyebrow at him as her Kyoto accent slipped out. That only happened when she was annoyed.

"Mom, Dad, seriously," Hitomi hissed, knowing that the two were about to begin bickering over her. She still held on to Toshinori's hand with her left one, relaxing and linking fingers with Atsuko with her right. Naomasa reached out too, placing a hand on her knee and giving a squeeze for his support. She smiled at him weakly, bracing herself for whatever was about to happen.

The doctor this time was a female, tall and lithe with glasses. She shut the door behind her and took the recliner at the foot of the bed, rearranging the papers she had stuck to her clip board. Once she was satisfied, she smiled briefly at Hitomi, reaching over for her medical chart tacked to the bottom of the bed.

"Hello Detective Sato, I'm Doctor Iba. I'll be your clinical psychologist moving forward. Before we begin, I just wanted to throw out there that you have a wonderful family here. They've been doing everything to ensure your comfort and well-being during this difficult time period."

"I know, thank you. And not to be disrespectful, to any of you," Hitomi added quickly, taking a quick look at the others in the room. "But I'd rather rip off the band aid and get this over with. So, what's going on with me, doc?"

Dr. Iba exchanged a look with Toshinori and Atsuko before adjusting her glasses and nodding. "Very well, we will cut to the chase then. But before that, I wanted to ask you about your quirk. Retrocognition? According to your medical charts it allows you to experience the memories of other people when you make eye contact. I imagine that fact has made the hospital staff seem a little cold, no?"

"A little," Hitomi groused.

"I understand that when you experience the memories of someone else, they simultaneously relive them. Also correct?"

Hitomi bowed her head. It was the only major draw back to her quirk. If she could see their memories without them knowing, or at least knowing what memory she was seeing, things would be a lot easier. It made her quirk rather unpleasant. When people found out about it, they tended to avoid her all together. She didn't have many friends growing up, as everyone had their secrets and they didn't want Hitomi finding them out whether she intended to or not. She was a social pariah before joining the police department, and being in this hospital for the last few days made her feel like one all over again.

"Yes, that's right, but I swear I would never do that without someone's permission."

"In that case, you should have no issues signing this form," Dr. Iba said, standing to hand Hitomi her clip board and a pen. Hitomi released her parent's hands momentarily to take the offered items. "It's a form of consent for your treatment. Your mother tells me that you've been distressed that everyone's been keeping you in the dark about why you're here, but I promise it was for your best interest. No one was trying to look down on you. I had suggested it when you came in in hopes that your parents would allow me to speak to and counsel you."

Hitomi read the form as Dr. Iba explained. Her eyes stopped on one line that she was meant to sign. "This is more like a contract than a consent form. 'If in whatever way you use your quirk during the treatment, your counseling will be terminated?'"

"That's a bit extreme, don't you think?" Naomasa asked, eyebrow raised.

"It may seem that way. But this is also for Hitomi's benefit. Given the nature of your quirk, using it during these sessions could hinder your progress. There's a certain procedure I need to follow while I'm working with you, Detective. If you attempt to take short cuts, or use your quirk on me in anyway during your sessions then I will not be able to help you and you will need to seek a new counselor."

 _Again, with these stupid assumptions_ , Hitomi thought bitterly, signing it without hesitation. "I understand. You have nothing to worry about, Dr. Iba."

Dr. Iba smiled and for the first time since she stepped in, Hitomi noticed, she made eye contact with her. She carefully plucked the form from her when Hitomi was finished signing and sat back in her recliner. "I'm pleased to hear that, and I look forward to working with you. There is one last thing I need to tell you before we begin, though." Dr. Iba smiled softly, sincerity burning in her eyes. "I really care about my patients and strive to do my best for them, Detective. I promise to do the same for you. I just wanted you to know that I will do my best to help you, okay?"

Hitomi flushed, her parents each taking her hands again. She felt kind of silly for her last inner commentary. Hitomi nodded once, acknowledging the doctor.

"Excellent," Dr. Iba said. "Now, your mother tells me that the last thing you can remember is speaking to your daughter's pre-school teacher. Do you remember the context of the conversation, what you spoke about?"

Hitomi shook her head. Everything was still very fuzzy. "All I remember is that we spoke outside, possibly outside the school. I don't remember what about though… It was a clear blue day, not a cloud in the sky. The only thing that strikes me as odd is that I was shivering, it was really cold that day."

The doctor hummed, taking out her phone and making a quick internet search. "The only clear day that we had that week was May 26th, and it most certainly couldn't have been cold enough to make you shiver," She turned the phone around and held it up for Hitomi to see. She'd pulled up a weather forecast of the week before using an app from the NHA.

"Twenty-one*?" Hitomi muttered. "That can't be possible. Even if I was sick, there is no way I could have felt as cold as I remember."

"It was a rather warm day, indeed," Dr. Iba said, putting her phone away. "Did you know? Sometimes whether we're under extreme stress, feeling pressured, angry, or even fearful, our bodies react in interesting ways? Whether you were feeling under the weather or not can be irrelevant. You could feel cold, start trembling, having all sorts of physical symptoms in response to your emotions. If your adrenaline was running on high during that conversation, that could be another reason for the shivers too."

"Adrenaline…? Now that you mention it…" Hitomi trailed off, turning to Naomasa. "Before that, we were having lunch in the park that day. I was on the phone with Dad… then an emergency broadcast went through, didn't it?" Hitomi played the day over in her mind, slowly connecting the pieces. "Yeah, that was the same day. May 26th. I saw it on the calendar at work. Senpai, you were with me that day."

"Yeah, up till a point," Naomasa muttered. "We were on our way to the scene when we got stuck in traffic. You sprinted out of the car and took off running. When I tried to go after you, you jumped on a park bench and announced that you needed aid getting past the traffic. A young man with some sort of gliding quirk volunteered to help, and he took you there. We got separated after that."

"I did? Really? What the hell was I in such a rush for that I made someone use their quirk to help me?" She was genuinely confused. Even if an emergency broadcast went through and it was close by, she couldn't imagine resorting to enlisting civilian assistance just to get her to a crime scene. She probably would have just taken her chances on foot and ran there. Using a quirk in public was illegal, and she didn't have the authorization to make the call for someone to assist her like that unless the situation was life or death.

"Wait… Hold on… Someone was in trouble. It _was_ a life or death situation… I promised that kid that if anyone gave him shit I would personally protect him…"

Her parent's hands squeeze around her own.

Hitomi sighed. "Sorry, this is a little frustrating. That's all I can remember about the day, honest."

"That's okay, Detective," Dr. Iba said, jotting down notes on her board. "Mr. Yagi, could you please tell Hitomi the details of your conversation?"

And so, he did, with a shaky voice. They were going to have Sukiyaki for dinner to celebrate her promotion. He'd heard the emergency broadcast through the phone and quickly went to the scene to assist.

"There's more to it than that, Mr. Yagi. Please tell Hitomi about the entirety of the conversation," Dr. Iba said.

"Doctor, I…" He trailed off, blinking.

"It's okay. I know this is difficult. You don't have to rush. But this is very important. We have to help Hitomi fill in the gaps."

Toshinori looked at his daughter, his eyes finally meeting hers. With her mother sitting right next to her, it was easy to see the resemblance between the two of them. Funny things, genetics were. When he first met her at eighteen, Hitomi was like his 'mini me'. Her hair had grown out a bit since then, and her delicate features had become slightly sharper. Though she still had his coloring, she resembled her mother more now. Her big blue hues with their pale-yellow pupils even looked less like his.

Hitomi looked perplexed, as if she truly didn't understand the severity of the situation, the effect it had on him as well. And in her defense, she truly didn't. She was still trying to figure out what the heck happened, where all the puzzle pieces fit, and why her father looked more broken up over this than she was.

"We talked a bit about the present I had bought for Yui, how she liked the pink Mary Janes and wore them to school almost every day. You invited Naomasa, and we were going to call your mother, too. But then," He broke off, once again losing eye contact with her, squeezing her hand tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"No, Dad, it's okay," Hitomi whispered, squeezing back. She still wasn't understanding why the room was so Heavy. Her mother had turned away, expression unreadable from the angle. Naomasa's eyes were closed, and he was gritting his teeth as if in pain.

"No, no you don't get it. I wasn't fast enough. There was so much more I could have done," Toshinori mumbled, shoulders shaking.

"Dad? Dad, what are you talking about?"

"Detective Sato," Dr. Iba cut in. "Your daughter attended Acorns to Oaks Pre-School in Musutafu, yes?"

"Yeah, she just started at the beginning of April. Why do you ask?" Hitomi stopped herself. She swallowed, her dry throat aching more than ever. "…You used past tense there. That was a mistake, right? She still goes there. I don't remember what we talked about specifically, but I spoke to her teacher that day. It… It was about Yui, yes, I remember that now! I asked her why Yui hadn't come out of the building with her. Dad had arrived and the hostages were all running out so we thought that they had released everyone, but Yui's teacher didn't come out with her usual class-"

It was all coming out in a rush. Her mouth moving quicker than her brain could process. But as she spoke she was beginning to understand. She'd never had an out of body experience before, but she imagined that this was must it must be like as she listened to herself speak as if someone else was narrating the story.

"That... That's right... The hostage situation was at the pre-school... I used my quirk on the teacher and found out that Yui was still inside. Part of the building exploded. Everyone started screaming, and more students came running out. Dad flew in, Yui still wasn't anywhere to be seen…"

Her head was slowly beginning to ache, and she felt as if her throat was closing in. She asked them if they could pause and get her the forgotten glass of orange juice in the corner. Naomasa grabbed it for her. She took a few gulps before handing the plastic cup back to him.

"Sorry, I just… I don't think I'm remembering things in the correct order… There… the emergency broadcast was for her school, and I remember that but… it jumps back to after that. Yeah, I couldn't see Yui coming out, but I don't remember what happened after that. I think… I think I vaguely remember getting sick a few days after. I felt like dog shit, couldn't even get out of bed… But Yui's okay, everything turned out fine. Mom even said she was at home with Dad a few days ago, right Mom? I should be able to see her today now that I can receive visitors-"

She stared in horror as Atsuko broke down, covering her mouth with her free hand to conceal the sob she let out. Hitomi could have sworn time slowed down in that moment. She looked around. Dr. Iba's eyes were sympathetic. Toshinori was shaking even harder, and Naomasa had paced to the other side of the room, leaning on the wall for support while facing away from the rest.

"Detective Sato, I'm very sorry. Your mother was just trying to keep the situation contained until your family found the time to properly tell you," Dr. Iba said.

"Tell me what," Hitomi muttered. "Yui… What happened to Yui…?"

"The fact of the matter is that Yui was killed by the suspects shortly before the explosion. You don't remember that part because you tried to commit suicide shortly after her funeral. That's what initially caused the amnesia, and why you're in the hospital now."

No. This wasn't happening. _This couldn't have happened._

"You were put on bereavement, and now you are on medical leave to assess your mental health and work through this until myself and Detective Tsukauchi have determined you are fit to go back to work. The police captain wanted you to know that once you've completed your therapy your job will be waiting for you. But for right now… You as well as your family need time to work through this."

Still feeling like a stranger in her own body, Hitomi watched on, observing the scene in disbelief.

This was just another nightmare, right?

* * *

 **Notes: *Japan uses Celsius to read the temperature, in Fahrenheit it would equate to 70 degrees.**


	4. Chapter 3: Purple Hyacinth

**Ivan here! Long time no see! Can't promise frequent updates, I'm a busy gal. However, I hope to update more frequently than I have the last two months.**

 **This chapter is going to be fairly graphic towards the end, head's up.**

 **Enjoy it otherwise, and as always, constructive criticism, thoughts/advice, comments, what not are always welcome and encouraged! I'm always striving to improve.**

* * *

The sounds of sirens bouncing off the concrete of office buildings was nothing new in Musutafu. Shota could always hear them in the distance, around the corner, right behind him. Criminal activity ran rampant in a city, and one or two squad cars didn't usually warrant a heroes' interference.

However, when three squad vehicles laid on their horns while flying onto sidewalks to get around lunch traffic, that piqued his interest. He grumbled, scratching the stubble on his neck while fishing his goggles out from underneath his capture cloth scarf. He wouldn't be stopping by the cat café that day, unfortunately. He'd have another opportunity later. Right then, it looked like the police were scrambling and needed backup.

A few people ducked out of his way as he flung himself from the street lamps using his scarf, following the sound of the sirens as he veered around the block corners. The buildings spread out the further he followed, until he was just at the edge of a residential area. The squad cars formed a barrier in the street, the police officers working quickly to set up caution tape and keep civilians away from a school building. Shota dropped down into the initial chaos, heading straight for the most decorated officer there.

"Hey captain," he drawled, the officer pausing his conversation with a man in a suit to regard him.

"Oh! Eraserhead! I'm not sure why you're here this time of day but I'm not complaining! In fact, we could use a stealthy hero for this operation," The police captain gestured for him to join the conversation.

"Hello, I'm Tsumugi with the negotiation team," The suit said, bowing quickly in greeting. "About twenty minutes ago we received a 119* call from within the building from one of the teachers. Some men sneaked into the school with weapons. One took control of the front office and used the PA system to declare a hostage situation. As far as we know, there were only three total suspects, two of which were seen going into a classroom closer to the front right section of the building. We have no idea what's going on in that classroom. A teacher and a few students managed to escape, but so far no one else has come out."

Shota nodded, glowering at the school's sign behind Tsumugi's head. A pre-school. What kind of low-life scumbags…

"There's more, though," The captain mentioned, touching the ear piece on his head. "We had other negotiators in there not long ago, they spoke to the man in the front office. We just put out the word to other officers in the area about a half hour ago. They're demanding All Might's presence."

"You've got to be kidding me," Shota spat. "Why would a couple of common thugs want to sic All Might on themselves? Are they obsessive fans, or do they want to go to jail?"

"We haven't heard much more than that so far. All we know for certain is that they've said that for every hour All Might doesn't show, they'll kill a child," The captain said.

Shota's blood turned to ice in his veins. They couldn't be serious. They couldn't let this go on for an hour, but neither could they give in to the suspect's demands. This was a sensitive operation. Shota didn't doubt the number one heroes' ability to swoop in and save the day, but something about this had his instincts screaming to keep him away from the situation. Claiming to kill a child is a serious offense, one that Shota didn't want to test. They didn't know how things would go, or if the suspects wouldn't just change their minds and start killing innocents anyway. They needed to do this quickly and quietly, and formulate a strategy to take them out.

He was about to voice his thoughts aloud when a young man's voice carried over the crowd.

"Get outta the way!"

Before he could fully comprehend the commotion, two people suddenly parted the crowd, knocking bystanders down like bowling pins. They flew clear through the caution tape barrier, as well as another officer. The one lower to the ground made impact, throwing the person on his back off like a bucking bronco.

Shota didn't have time to think, the second person was flying right towards him. He stepped sideways, catching the small woman in his arms before she could hit the pavement like her companion. Big blue eyes blinked up at him, bewildered and frantic. He set her down carefully on her feet before returning his attention to the young man on the ground.

All Might hoodie, face mask, biking gear.

Shota knew who this was, but was a little surprised that he was in this part of the city. He should have been back in the Narita Ward with that crazy old Quirkless guy and Pop Step, two vigilantes that he'd previously let go after a misunderstanding a few weeks ago.

"Hey, you," He barks. The young man rolls over quickly, eyes bugging out at the sight of the pro hero. "I don't know what you're doing here but you ought to clear out, now. Last time we bumped into each other I told you public use of quirks without a license is illegal." Shota reached for his scarf, yanking it downward and ready to erase the young man's quirk if he tried anything.

"Whoa, hold on!" The woman who had arrived with the vigilante stepped between the two of them, arms spread as she stared Shota down. He paused, grip loosening on his capture weapon. "I asked him to help me get here. I authorized his quirk use to help a peace officer get to a crime scene in an orderly- well, timely fashion," She corrected herself, shaking her head as she turned to face the young man. She bowed low to him, low enough that Shota could see the ends of her wavy blonde hair graze the blacktop.

"Thank you," She began, "for helping me. I'm sorry for putting you in an awkward position, but I owe you one. You can't begin to understand what this means for me. If anyone gives you shit about today, you tell them Detective Sato made you do this, just blame it on me. Okay? I can handle anything top brass decides to throw at me."

"Y-Yeah… Okay... I mean-! Of course, ma'am, always happy to help!" The young man proclaimed, jumping to his feet with a grimace.

"What's your name, kid?"

"It's Ko-, uh, I'm The Crawler, ma'am."

"You can just call me Hitomi. Like I said, I owe you one. You ever need anything, anything at all you track me down and I'll do it. Within reason, of course. I've heard you're a pretty big help around Narita ward, I'm trusting you to not abuse that privilege."

"Of course not ma- uh, Ms. Hitomi! Thanks!" And with that, he dropped on all fours (Wincing, Shota noted. He was littered in scrapes) and sped away, successfully dodging the crowd this time.

Shota watched the exchange incredulously. When the woman turned back around to face him, he fixed her with a hardened glare. "Detective Sato, right? Last I checked, detectives didn't have the power to make a call such as enlisting civilian assistance to get to a crime scene. Do you usually go around abusing your title like that?" The woman, Detective Sato, visibly bristled. That jab clearly wounded her pride. Good. "You say you're a detective but what sort of officer makes a scene like that when approaching a hostage situation? What if it caught the attention of the suspects and they hurt one of those kids? If you aren't going to get serious and treat this situation with the caution it demands, you should go home."

Dear god, the look she gave him almost made him regret his words. Almost.

Shota had to resist the urge to take a step away. Her blue eyes flashed dangerously, small features scrunching in anger. She looked more like a rabid animal than an officer in that moment. Something told him that maybe he'd said too much, but he wasn't going to back down from a petty intimidation tactic. No matter how effective it was.

"Ah- Hitomi! Over here! You too, Eraserhead," The captain called, gesturing for the two to approach. The woman rammed her shoulder into his arm as she passed by him, nearly making him stumble. Well, her looks were certainly deceiving. It was forceful enough for him to feel it, which meant she was physically stronger than she seemed. That was a little reassuring. It meant if push came to shove she could hold her own, though he suspected already that she wasn't given the title she bore for her scary-ass glare alone.

The captain gave the detective a rundown of the situation. Shota didn't pay much attention to it, he already knew what was going on. He did notice, however, that the captain was speaking to the detective in a much more subdued tone, almost trying to console her. Why would that be necessary? If she couldn't handle something like this, or if she was that inexperienced, even more reason to send her home. Having an inexperienced, coddled cop on scene would be illogical and compromise the mission.

"Sir," The detective piped up, voice raw with emotion. "I know the layout of the building better than anyone, I've been in and out of here enough times. I agree that stealth would be our best course of action. If the pro over there is as good as you say, then we should send him in through the back with an ear piece, so I can direct him to the classroom where the hostages are held. The negotiators can keep them distracted while Eraserhead incapacitates them and provides us with an opportunity to rescue the hostages before All Might arrives."

"All Might?" The police captain inquired. Shota found his train of thought stop at that slip. The detective averted her gaze, finding interest suddenly in a zipper on her red leather jacket as she fidgeted with it. "Sato, what's this about All Might? How do you know he's coming? We explicitly told the first responders not to contact him-"

"No!" She cut in, hands shooting back to her sides. "No, it wasn't them! I… I was already speaking to him when the call went through."

Shota had enough of this. "I said it before and I'll say it again; if you can't get serious you should leave."

Both detective and captain whipped their heads in his direction, the feral anger on full display and directed at Shota once more. "Who the hell do you think you are!" Detective Sato cried, body spinning to stand at full attention, taking a step closer into his personal space. He suspected a small young woman had to put on this act to get anywhere with her colleagues, but he wasn't one of them, and he wasn't about to put up with her antics.

"Hitomi," The captain said. "How do you even have All Might's contact information?"

"I can't disclose that, I'm sorry," The detective replied, eyes never leaving Shota's.

The hero couldn't help but heave a frustrated sigh. "That just makes your case even less plausible. Captain, I shouldn't have to sit here and explain to you why it's a bad idea to let her hold the reigns. It's a delicate operation-"

"You think I don't know that? Do you think I'm an idiot? Don't make me laugh! You don't even know what's really going on here!" Sato shouted, taking another step closer. Still, he didn't move.

"From the five minutes since I've met you I can tell you this; You're impatient, impetuous, and too emotionally driven to look at this from a logical standpoint. Your idea is a sound one, we'll gladly take it into consideration. However, if you think I'll stand by and waste another minute arguing with you when we could be in there saving those kids-"

Sato cut him off, voice a deadly calm. "My daughter is in that school. I know the risks, and I will do anything to get everyone out of there safely. You need to fuck off."

"…And add emotionally compromised to that list," He ground out. "I said my peace. I still say it's irrational to let this woman participate, especially knowing that she's a parent of a potential hostage."

"I understand where you're coming from, Eraserhead. And If I were in your shoes and confronted by a stranger in such a way I might share that opinion," The captain said, stepping between the two, guiding detective Sato away gently. "However, Hitomi is our department's prodigy. She has the highest solve rate of this year's new batch of detectives and her determination and passion are exactly why I trust she can do what she says. She has the highest solve rate for a detective her age, and has proven to perform exceptionally under pressure. She's done so time and time again. I'm just asking you give her the opportunity to prove the same to you."

"I don't have to prove anything to him," Sato hissed.

Shota regarded them both. She seemed to have made an impression on the captain. Not every supervisor would go out of their way to stick their neck out for their employees like that. Whatever she had done in her past was enough to convince him that she could do the job effectively. Shota would just have to deal with that for now. "You sound confident in her abilities. So, I have no choice but to comply."

The detective visibly relaxed, putting her hand over the captain's that rested on her shoulder. She nodded once, jaw set, determination in her eyes. She exhaled, rotating her shoulders and standing straight, visibly calming her nerves.

"Alright," She began. "We need to get set up with the equipment. All Might was near his home on the other side of the city when we spoke. How long has it been since they declared their ultimatum?"

"About a half-hour."

"Good. That gives us something to work with. At this rate it will only be another fifteen to twenty minutes before All Might gets here. If we have half of our officer's present go out and circle the area for the next two or three blocks, we might have a chance of flagging him down before he bursts in here. We can't have him bumbling in there indelicately, that's more than likely exactly what they want."

"How do you know that," Shota asked, masking some of his disdain. It came out a demand more than a question.

"Again, I can't disclose that information. All I can say is that this isn't just a hostage situation. This very well could be a means to orchestrate a confrontation with the symbol of peace."

Both Shota and the captain just stared at her. She fidgeted slightly under their eyes.

"Look, I know how crazy it sounds. Especially from some rookie on the force, but I need you to trust me on this one," she said, directing it to the captain deliberately. "Captain, right now I just want to save my daughter, as well as those children."

"I know, Hitomi, I know. We'll send patrols out that way immediately. And we'll discuss what you know once we wrap this up."

She bit her lip, face a picture of discomfort. "I understand. Thank you. Eraserhead," she said, addressing Shota now. "We need to get you in there quickly. The negotiators can give you an ear piece that will keep us in contact. When the others begin to pull out, you swing around the next block or two to the back of the school. There's a courtyard you can easily get to and enter through the back door there. They wouldn't have had the time to put the school on proper lockdown if someone holed up in the front office, so it should be open. If not, well, I'm sure you'll figure something out. Just get in there quickly and quietly before All Might arrives."

Shota nodded. He hadn't been lying before when he said the idea was sound. He had to give her credit, the plan was better than he thought her capable of. He could see the gears turning in her head as she went on, directing Tsumugi to get ready. I should just settle and hope this won't be a disaster, he thought to himself.

The captain stepped away to talk to the other officers about the plan, instructing them to move out. A few stayed behind for back up. A child's distraught cry caught his and the detective's attention. Several feet away, a young woman sat huddled on the lawn with four other children, weeping quietly while trying to calm the others. She must have been a staff member, he noted, by the smock and name tag she sported.

Shota opened his mouth to comment, but the detective was walking quickly away from him before he could get it out. Huffing, he decided to follow her. The captain practically left her in charge, until they were ready with the equipment and to send him in, he didn't have much else to do.

Hitomi knelt in front of the teacher, taking her hand. The woman sobbed out. He stepped a little closer to try to hear what they were speaking about.

"…how did you get out? Where is your class? Where is Yui?" Her voice was calm, but she drilled the woman with questions she was too upset to answer. The only thing he could understand was the apology after asking about one child specifically.

Yui must be her daughter, he deduced. Which meant that this woman was apologizing to the detective not for her inability to answer.

"Listen, you don't have to say anything, alright? Just look at my eyes," Sato said, taking the woman's shoulders gently. The teacher looked at her hesitantly, and what Shota saw gave him pause.

The detective had her back to him, but he could see the teacher's face just fine. Once brown eyes were now a startling shade of blue, with a glowing yellow pupil. Just like the detective's. The teacher's face had gone completely blank, her posture relaxed. Now that's interesting, he thought. But what is she doing?

After about a minute or so, the color of the teacher's eyes darkened to its original shade. The woman's crying suddenly became louder, her apologies clearer, as detective Sato stood slowly on trembling legs. When she turned around, her face looked ashen green. Alarmed, Shota approached her side quickly. She looked like she was either going to be sick, pass out, or both. Taking her arm gently, and mildly surprised she allowed him, he walked her back to the paddy wagon where the negotiators were setting everything up.

"What was that? What happened?" He asked. She blinked a few times, swallowing thickly, before rubbing her arms. She was shaking like a leaf, trying to calm herself.

"It-it's nothing. I'm- I'll be fine," She responded, eyes no longer hardened with malice but wide and glossy in terror. "She… she stepped out for just a few minutes to make some photocopies in the office… but she watched a man in a janitor's uniform walk in with a gun. She ran to her classroom to get her students, but there were two other men in janitorial uniforms going in. She, the woman, is Yui's homeroom teacher."

He cursed. Her daughter was in the classroom with the suspects. This was even worse than either of them initially thought. It was hard to stay mad at her bull-headed tenacity when the straits were this dire.

"She picked up as many stray kids in the hall as she could before she ran out and called 119."

"How did you get all of that in such a short amount of time?" He asked. "Does it have to do with your quirk?"

Her eyes were on his, and she looked shocked for a moment. She nodded dumbly. "When I make eye contact with someone, I can see their memories."

He couldn't help the small scoff he let loose. "No wonder you're a prodigy. With a quirk like that you were pretty much born to be a police officer. Don't give me that look, I meant it as a compliment," he deadpanned at her.

Beyond the glare, she doesn't answer him. She looks somewhere past him, and he turns, seeing the captain return as the last of the patrol vehicles clear out of the area. Sato makes a move to walk around him, but he grabs her around the elbow before she can go far. "I'll do my best to get your daughter out safely. Promise."

Given the way they first met not ten minutes ago, he couldn't blame her for appearing surprised. It was genuine, and he meant to try to reassure her. He hadn't made this any easier on her from the start. Riling her up further and making things worse would only jeopardize their chances of communicating effectively and saving the children. He still wasn't pleased with the situation, and really wished the captain would do more, but he had to get over it and make sure she had her head on straight if he was going to let her lead him into the abyss.

She gently pried his hand from her elbow, dainty-looking hands surprisingly calloused. Her voice was small and breathy, "Thanks."

The captain returned, having finished the preparations. Tsumugi returned with the ear pieces, giving one to each of the three. Readying his goggles and capture weapon, he nodded at the captain and detective before swinging up onto the street lamps and darting down the street.

Everyone was in position now. He could see the police surrounding the next two blocks in wait for All Might as Shota swung around the buildings. Any people left wandering the street quickly made for their homes. Good. The less people out and about, the better.

"Can you hear me, Eraserhead?" The detective's voice buzzes in his right ear.

"Yeah, loud and clear."

"Good. By now you should be coming up behind the building. The door you want is going to be to your left. From there it's a straight shot until you get to the last hallway before the main entrance."

He doesn't respond, vaulting off the last streetlight and rolling into the courtyard. Keeping low, he quickly heads for the door. Sure enough, it's unlocked like the detective said. "I'm in."

"If you see any students or teachers, make sure they exit out the way you came in. **Quietly**. I'll arrange for the paddy wagon to swing back that way to take them to safety. Stay low. When I scanned Ms. Arai's memories I didn't see the other suspects enter with weapons, but that doesn't mean they are unarmed. We don't know who they are or what their quirks could be."

He assumed that was the teacher she spoke to. More than likely the suspects were confident that their quirks alone were enough to give them a one up. Either they were stupid, or they knew what they were doing. He wasn't going to risk finding out, one way or another. Get in, take them out, send them to jail before the kids get hurt.

As Shota crawled through the hall, he saw a few frightened children (accompanied by adults thankfully), hiding under or behind tables set out in the hall. As per the detective's instructions, he gestured to the back door, giving them the all clear while signaling they be quiet. They all crawled on their hands and knees, one teacher leading, the other remaining behind to watch the kid's backs. Before she left with the rest, she mouthed a thank you to him. Shaking his head, he gestured again before making his trek down the hall.

A sudden muffled boom rocked the ground, ringing loudly in his ear piece. Further up the hall, he could hear a few screams. He braced himself, ready to charge, when detective Sato screeched so loudly in his ear he almost ripped the device out.

"GODAMMIT!"

"Hitomi, come back!"

"You were supposed to stop for the officers!"

"Detective Sato," Shota whispers harshly, but she doesn't answer him. It's clear now that All Might had arrived on scene. He could hear the hero talking in the background of Sato's mic.

"I did stop for the officers, right here, now fill me in," All Might spoke in a tone much more solemn than Shota was used to hearing.

"No, damn you, you were supposed to stop for the ones down the street! They specifically asked for you, we can't have you just barge in there-"

"If I don't, Yui and those children will surely be in trouble. Now step aside, Hitomi."

Whoa, hold on. The detective and All Might were on a first name basis? So, she wasn't lying about having spoken to him after all. Which meant she was closer to him than your average person.

But how is that possible? How do they know each other? He even knows her daughter's name? A million other questions buzzed through his brain before he shook his head. No. Forget about that. Focus on those kids for now. Even without Sato, I know where the perps and kids are. I just need to keep going.

"Hitomi, we need to come up with a new plan. There's no way the suspects missed that spectacle. Calm down. We can still work with this," The captain chimed in, an attempt to placate her.

"Dammit… We need the negotiators to make contact again, find out what their next move is, what they want him to do. I didn't want to play into their hands but now we don't have a choice."

"Hitomi," All Might said. "I understand you're upset, but I've been doing this for a long time, dear. I **can** and **will** save them." His voice was kind and soothing, lowered to try to pacify Sato.

The detective doesn't speak for a while. The captain reminds her that they can all hear her. She clears her throat.

"Tsumugi, get on it. Captain, please brief All Might. Eraserhead, stand by-"

Another sound shocked the building to its foundation, debris falling from the shaking ceiling tiles. Shota nearly toppled over. Screams sounded from all around him and children and teachers flooded from the classrooms into the hallways. He shouted for them to exit into the courtyard, trying to squirm his way through the crowd of little ones without stepping on them. His ear piece screeched from the feedback, and he finally ripped the thing out of his ear.

Gunshots rang throughout the hall, the windows in the front office lit up and exploded glass from the rapid fire of a machine gun. He made it to the end of the hall, just in time to see the two negotiators stumble out, no worse for wear than when they'd entered. One had his arm grazed by a bullet, sitting down in the hall against the door frame while the other man took off his tie and used it to staunch the bleeding. Stopping briefly to make sure they were otherwise unharmed, he was just in time for the rest of the police force on scene storm the building.

In the midst of the force, having switched her red leather jacket for a bullet proof vest, marched the detective, blonde waves piled high on her head in a ponytail. He shouted for her to come back when she deviated from the rest of the force, darting in the direction of the classrooms where the hostages were. She doesn't hear him- or just ignored him. He caught a glimpse of glowing cobalt in the shadow of the hallway, and took off after it as soon as the rest of the officers passed.

When he arrived at the door, nothing registered, not immediately.

The right wall of the room was completely gone, as well as part of the roof. There was no sign of an explosion, but the entire wall was demolished. A woman, one of the teachers, sat before the destruction sobbing into her hands.

The class itself was spread out along the back wall. It was like a picture from hell. Not one appeared to be harmed, much to Shota's relief. But something still unsettled him. It was the expressions on their faces. None of them cried, not even one uttered so much as a peep. Their faces were contorted in masks of silent horror. They were all staring ahead. Staring at the feet of the number one hero.

All Might must have stormed in sometime during the explosion. He crouched on the floor in the center of the room. He didn't move.

The suspects as described by Sato were nowhere to be found.

The detective stood halfway between All Might and Shota, legs quaking. She took one step forward.

"Don't come over here! Stay back!"

Even Shota flinched away from the harsh order, whatever she'd muttered prior gone on deaf ears for everyone in the room.

"Eraserhead, call the paramedics, get Hitomi away from here, now."

Normally Shota wouldn't have liked his associates barking orders at him like that, but it was obvious that there was something he was trying to keep from the detective. He approached the woman, gently taking her arm. She didn't fight him when he tried to lead her away, but she did plant her feet.

"What is going on? Don't just-"

Shota didn't see anything, didn't hear anything, so he was at a loss when the air left Sato's lungs and her legs fell from under her. He still had her arm, so he was able to swing her to the ground a little more gently than if he hadn't.

Suddenly a guttural scream cut the air like a knife, the sound coming from the detective. She doubled over, and he fell beside her to try to understand just what the hell was going on with her. She was just screeching uncontrollably. For the first time in his career, he wasn't sure what was going on or what he should do. A shiver wracked his body, the air gone frigid.

That's when he saw them.

On the floor, resting in the space between All Might's legs, was a tiny pair of feet adorning blood spattered pink shoes.

He cursed and grabbed Sato, spinning her away from the scene and burying her in his chest. From hers and All Might's reactions it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was her daughter. He shouted for back up and medics through the communicator that he scrambled to put back in his ear, trying to be heard over the hysterical screams of the woman in his arms. All Might and the children were gone in the blink of an eye and a gust of wind, leaving the teacher and the girl with the pink shoes behind. He hears the negotiators say that All Might had come out with all the remaining hostages.

Shota had to look away from the carnage. Now that he could see the full picture, he almost threw up on the spot.

The child wasn't even recognizable.

A gaping hole resided where her face should have been

No, No! I need to go! Depriving himself the means to dwell on it further, he scooped the detective up and rushed her out of the war-zone, for what else could this be called? He turned the corner just in time to see the police dragging a body out of the front office. It was a male, wearing a janitorial uniform. It had to have been the third suspect, the one the detective saw in the teacher's memories. It was too bad, they wouldn't be able to get any information out of him like this.

Shota was a hero, first and foremost, and he usually looked on any loss of life with disdain and grief. This time, however, he couldn't say he felt terribly sorry for this one. The thought that those bastards could do such a thing to a child- hell, a baby- and in front of other children no less? What's worse, her own mother walked in on it all. That man and his associates endangered innocent lives and took the life of a girl today. His loss was unfortunate, but ultimately probably for the best.

The icing on the cake was the thought that All Might wasn't able to save her, whatever his relation to her, and an entire audience of children who looked up to him witnessed that. This would put a dark spot on his reputation for sure.

He stepped out of the doors and onto the concrete steps. People were running and screaming everywhere, and the other heroes and officers who'd arrived on scene since he'd gone in were struggling to keep the crowd at bay outside the caution lines. He's hyper-aware of the migraine growing behind his eyes, and the way the colors of the veridian grass and cerulean sky seem to be intensifying, as if someone were cranking up the contrast on a television screen. It had been a long time since he'd had this sensation, but he was familiar enough with it that he knew he needed to hand the detective off to someone, stat.

A man in a blue suit, badge on his hip, and looking for all the world like an angel to Shota in that moment, approached from the crowd. He swung his head left and right, looking around, until his eyes landed on the broken woman in Shota's arms. His face paled, and he bolted for them. Detective Sato was still screaming, and his vision was practically swimming.

"Hitomi! Eraserhead, what's going on what happened!?"

It finally registered that the man was Naomasa Tsukauchi, one of the detectives working on the Trigger case with him. Shota practically threw the detective at him, head pounding and hands now free, a significant weight had literally been taken off him.

Naomasa couldn't believe his eyes when the man ran for the cover of a nearby tree, vomiting profusely.

Shota had seen terrible shit in his line of work. He'd been part of disaster relief, murder investigations, and other crimes going horribly wrong. For all his eleven years of experience, nothing he had ever encountered as a hero could have prepared him for what he experienced on that day. He'd watched people die, people he couldn't help, people who couldn't hold on until help arrived, and he always told himself that he couldn't afford to dwell on them for his own sake. For as much as he wracked his brain however he couldn't think of a time where any of those people were children so young. Where he'd watched someone's world plummet into hell before their very eyes.

He hadn't gone to church or said a prayer since he was a child, years of experience and hardships snuffing out any childish dreams of a higher power and everything that came with it. If he were a religious man, however, he would have said with utter certainty that what transpired at Acorns to Oaks that day was the work of a devil. On that day, for the first time, he truly felt what it was to witness pure unadulterated evil.

In the two weeks following the events, he took the time to speak with a counselor privately with the quiet persistence of Present Mic and Midnight. He tried to go back to work the day after, and his friends could tell he was not in his right state of mind. Insomnia desperately pinned him to the waking world and plagued him with nightmares anytime he tried to close his eyes for even a few minutes. And it held him hostage in the form of hostile blue eyes, bloodied baby shoes, and an empty utterance that woke him from a dead REM state like a bucket of ice water.

"I'll do my best to get your daughter out safely. Promise."

* * *

 ***119 is Japan's emergency number.**


	5. Chapter 4: Cactus

**Honestly I hate this goddamn website.**

 **So It glitched out and made me delete chapter 3 on here and whenever I save in document manager it screws up the formatting. So I apologize if certain parts of this and the last chapter seem underwhelming or confusing. FFN really just doesn't want me to. I will work on correcting the formatting tomorrow. I have had enough formatting for one night.**

 **AO3 don't give me this many problems FFN! (Speaking of, formatting is proper over there if you wanna read it there.)**

* * *

"Pop-Pop, what happens when you drop your phone in the toilet?"

"That's an interes-WHY?"

"Never mind," Yui replied stoically as she skipped away to her toy bin. Toshinori briefly patted down his pockets before he abruptly stood from the chair and ran for the bathroom. Hitomi doubled over, laughing so hard she cried. The scenario that played out before her was too much after a long all-nighter spent helping her father write his hero reports.

An indignant cry sounded from the bathroom. Toshinori sprinted back out, hands soaked and cupped around his cellular device as he scrambled around the kitchen in search of the rice.

"Hitomi, you really should have a talk with her about this! This is the third time, I'll be lucky if my phone survives this one."

"Dad, your phone is a dinosaur, they don't make 'em like they used to. Rice is in the bottom cupboard by the way," Hitomi managed after calming down a bit. "I'm sure it'll be fine once you let it sit in it for a few hours."

He took a large mixing bowl from the top shelf of one of the kitchen cabinets, then went for the rice, pouring nearly the entire bag in before burying his phone in it. His head hung, his brow was pinched, and if she didn't know any better she could have sworn he was pouting over his abused cell phone.

Hitomi stood from the table, entering the living room and crouching next to Yui.

"Sweetie, Pop-Pop's phone might be old, but that isn't a reason to flush it like a fishie."

"You said you wanted to get him a new one for Christmas," Came Yui's matter-of-fact reply, focused intently on her Legos.

"Yes, I entertained that thought, but It's March. Christmas is a long way off now."

"Oh," She said, setting her Legos down carefully and reaching for something in her toy box. She made a satisfied noise, finding what she'd been digging for, and ran back into the kitchen to Toshinori.

"Pop-Pop, you can use my phone! It's cuter than yours anyway," She said, holding up her pink toy phone up proudly for him. Toshinori looked torn between crying and laughing, settling for laughing when Hitomi started up again. He plucked her up and sat her on his knee as he took his place back at the table.

"That's very kind of you, Yui," He said, gently accepting the phone and setting it down beside him. "But you shouldn't take things that aren't yours or without asking. It can make people sad."

Yui's eyes grew, face serious. "Did I make you sad, Pop-Pop?"

"Well… A little, yes. That phone is very important for work and calling your Mommy. How can I know if someone needs my help if no one can call me? It's very important to keep the lines of communication open."

"Are we talking about the importance of communication in tandem with heroics, or are we trying to teach her not to touch things without permission?" Hitomi teased, leaning in the doorway.

"I'm getting there! Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes! Pop-Pop's work is very important to helping other people, and so his cell phone is important. If you ever see my phone laying around somewhere, make sure you return it to me immediately, okay? It's a very important tool that can save lives."

"Oh… I'm sorry, Pop-Pop…" Yui sighed dejectedly, head hanging in shame.

"Now, Now, there's no need for that. I forgive you. Just remember what I said, and remember-"

"If I see your phone, give it right back!"

"Yes! Very good, sweet heart. Now go brush your teeth, Mommy's taking you to school today," He said, picking her up and setting her back down on the floor.

Yui beamed and made a B-line for the bathroom, picking up a little plastic blue stool as she went.

Hitomi smiled warmly at her father. "See? You handled that very well! You're a natural with kids, Dad."

Toshinori rubbed the back of his head with his right hand, cheeks turning pink in embarrassment. "You think so? I just don't know. Entertaining them is one thing but raising them to do the right thing is…. A lot harder than I was anticipating."

Hitomi grinned, making her way to the coffee pot to brew a couple cups for them both. They'd still had a lot of paperwork to sort through and likely wouldn't be done till noon since Hitomi had to pause to get Yui ready and out the door. "It is. Especially when your kid is a regular comedienne. Honestly, I don't have any idea where that deadpan little personality and knack for getting into trouble comes from but god if it doesn't kill me every time. But you know…" Her eyes soften, pink lips curling into a soft smile. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Toshinori watched the expression on her face with barely concealed awe. What a wonderful young lady and mother his little girl had become. Could he have had these moments with her when she was young? Would he have been as good of a role model to her as she claims he was to Yui? A small part of him envied her. A smaller part berated himself. A larger part felt pride swell in his chest like an ocean wave. And the biggest part of him felt such a great understanding and love for where he was now, that he was even here now, at her words.

Yes. Neither of them would have traded those times for anything.

"She gets it all from your Mother, by the way."

* * *

"Shota! You still have paid time off left, you shouldn't be here!" Hizashi practically screeched, jumping up from his desk and pointing accusingly at the disheveled man who'd just entered the staff room. To anyone else, Eraserhead really looked fine. Well, as fine as he normally did. His eyes were still bloodshot, surrounded by bruised bags and just an overall epitome of exhaustion.

None knew him like Hizashi did, though. Friendship going back since their freshman year of high school, he could easily see the unusually pallid complexion hidden behind his scarf. And while eye bags certainly were normal for him, the bruised-looking skin was not. This was a sign that Shota had been getting even less sleep that usual. He'd wager a guess that he probably hadn't been sleeping whatsoever.

It was most definitely confirmed when he practically tripped into his own office chair, trying to sort through papers to grade with a look of utter confusion. Hizashi caught Nemuri's eye across the room. She nodded and approached to help Hizashi grab one of Shota's arms and drag him out into the hallway.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but let go of me now," Shota threatened, voice something dark and strange the likes of which neither of his friends had heard before.

Nemuri glowered at him, releasing his arm only to shove him into the wall and out of Hizashi's grip. "You haven't been going to see the counselor, have you?" Hizashi looked like he was about to say something, but quickly shut his mouth. For once the loud hero didn't have the words to say. He knew as well as Nemuri did that the therapist they'd recommended was incredible at her job, and for Shota to look this haggard and agitated, he had to have been skipping out on their sessions.

"I haven't been to her office in a few days. Had to work," he muttered, one hand coming up to rub his eye.

"That is the last thing you need, and you know it! For a man who prides himself on being so 'logical' and 'rational' this has to be the stupidest fucking thing you've ever done!" Nemuri tossed her night sky hair over her shoulder, glare darkening. Hizashi exhales.

"Well, I didn't want to go about it this way," Hizashi started, stroking his mustache as he contemplated his words carefully, "But Midnight's right. You experienced something bad, Shota. We know how married to your work you are, but It's only been two weeks. Even Mr. Nerves-of-Steel needs to take time to collect himself and take a breather."

Shota doesn't respond, head bowed as he glared at the floor. He hadn't been scolded like this in years. He was just trying to cope with the situation the best way he knew how, and how he'd always done it.

Alone.

"Spare me the lecture. I need a distraction, not to talk about my feelings like some sort of bereaved housewife-," he cut himself off, inhaling sharply as the vision that had been plaguing him for weeks attacked his senses again.

Burning cobalt eyes. Bloodied pink Baby shoes. I promise I'll get your daughter out safe I promise I promise **I promised-**

Hizashi's hand clamped firmly down on his shoulder, snapping Shota out of his trance. Eyes wild and frantic, as if he'd been pulled from a nightmare. Hizashi frowned. These were symptoms that every hero faced at some point, whether because they couldn't save anyone, witnessed something truly catastrophic. In Shota's case, all the above applied.

He hadn't told Nemuri and Hizashi what he'd seen or the events that transpired at Acorns to Oaks two weeks ago. He'd done everything he could to dodge their questions, even going so far as to avoid them outright. He's lucky he had such persistent friends. Or cursed. To this day he still hadn't decided. Whenever they asked, or anyone else for that matter, he'd simply turn on the news and leave the room.

It was the biggest story in the media then. For two whole weeks they covered the incident, trying to find out the identity of the lone child killed, blaming All Might for not jumping in there as soon as he got there, covering the story of the lone teacher who attempted to use her powerful quirk to protect her students, desperately trying to find leads on who the attackers were, following up on the classroom of children who were all receiving psychiatric evaluations for the trauma experienced by watching their classmate die. They were just toddlers.

The staff at UA knew that the real scene was a million times more horrific than the media portrayed, and they portrayed it as much of its ugly truth as they were allowed. No one could imagine just what Eraserhead or the symbol of peace went through that day. For the first time in the history of his career, All Might took a hiatus, leaving the number two hero Endeavor in charge until he was ready to step back into the spotlight again. Whether or not Endeavor would surrender it was another story, though. All Might had even withdrawn his upcoming admission into the staff of UA to work as a teacher alongside all of them. Nezu refused to share the details, but they all knew it had something to do with the incident in question.

If it was so horrible that the symbol of peace needed to step back, how in God's name did Shota think he could handle this by himself, and continue to push on?

"Shota, if you aren't comfortable sharing it with a stranger, then at least confide in us," Nemuri said, voice raw with emotion, trying to get him to look at her. "You know this is stupid. You know this won't help. If whatever you're going through isn't getting any better, then trust us."

"It's not so bad. I might be a loudmouth, but you know I'd never blab about something so serious," Hizashi laughed, trying to evoke some sort of reassurance with the grizzly man with a self-depreciating joke.

"…The first step to fixing your problem is admitting you have one, right…?" Shota murmured, so quiet his friends almost didn't hear him. He exhaled, pushing off the wall and removing Hizashi's hand from his shoulder. "Fine. But We're going to recovery girl's office to talk privately."

Hizashi and Nemuri smiled.

…

And those smiles immediately fell when he finally unloaded everything he'd seen two weeks ago.

The hostage situation, the detective, her daughter, All Might, promising her to do his best but what did he really do? He carried a screaming woman out of a decimated building and left her without so much as looking back. Out of all the children involved, hers was the only one lost and neither of the heroes on scene were able to do anything to prevent it. Every night he closed his eyes he saw hers, glowing in the hallway as she ran into the room where she would find All Might shielding her from her dead daughter. The pink Baby shoes and the carcass with the missing face. The faces of the surviving children, silent screams and just staring at the lifeless shell that was once their classmate.

And her voice. Detective Sato's deafening screams of despair as he rushed her out of the building and dumped her off into someone else's arms because he was going to be sick and he had no idea what to do for her.

Every time he tried to close his eyes the sounds and sights came flooding back like a scene from hell, and he truly felt as though he were reliving it. The therapy sessions horrified him because the therapist wanted him to confront it. To face it head on. The logical side of him told him he was being ridiculous, that there wasn't anything he could have done, and his presence wouldn't have made a difference one way or another and he should confront it and get it over with.

But the emotional side of him, the one he tried so desperately to repress because he knew, he fucking knew, it would get the better of him and fill him to the brim with guilt he knew he didn't have the right to feel, sang in a sickly sweet voice in the back of his mind that he wasn't good or strong enough to save that child or stay by that woman's side when her whole world ended in a matter of minutes. Because his presence there truly didn't make a difference, wouldn't have, and never before had he felt so fucking useless-

Knuckles white and mouth dry, talking about it didn't help. It didn't fucking help at all and it took him every last ounce of self-control to not unload on them for making him do this. But no one made him, he was desperate. He needed to get it off his chest, to tell someone, to-

"Shota, hey, look at us," Hizashi's voice snapped him out of it. He slowly looked up at him. Throughout his tale Shota's vision took the contrast and dialed it up to 100. His migraines would be triggered anytime he reflected on the details of the events, the world around him spinning and making him nauseous and please make it stop, I want to get off.

Hizashi and Nemuri exchanged a look, nodding. Shota wouldn't be able to handle this alone, there was no way. For all his grandstanding as a lone wolf, even he was human and needed help sometimes. Nemuri quickly whipped out her phone to do a search.

"You said the detective's name was Sato? What was her first name?"

Shota blinked at her, "I think it was Hitomi. What are you-"

"Well, I wasn't able to find out where she is presently, but our young mother is a prodigy at the police department. She won an honorary medal last year for catching a serial killer who was targeting young women, and she's taken the reigns of many operations since." She handed her phone to Shota, who flipped lazily through the article. A decorated young lady, clad in navy blue, saluted to the police captain as he pinned something to her uniform. "Looks like the kid's good at what she does. Her partner's name is one we're familiar with as well, though I can't imagine why she wasn't put on the Trigger case with him if she's as good as the press makes her out to be."

Shota's eyes brightened the slightest, and he sat up straight. "You're saying Tsukauchi can help us contact her."

She grinned.

A grin that fell immediately as he stood up and tried to power walk out of the room. Thankfully, Hizashi had the quick reflexes and strength to practically hug him from behind and restrain him.

"No! You aren't escaping that easily!"

"What purpose would I have for being there? I wouldn't help I would just make the situation worse- Dammit Mic, get off of me or I swear-" His eyes flashed red and the air around him changed, but Hizashi knew that it wouldn't hinder his strength in the least. He'd spared with Shota enough times to know that the worse his quirk could do was make Hizashi's natural volume decrease by several decibels.

"It would help you both get some closure," Nemuri said, watching in mild amusement as Shota struggled against Hizashi. "If you feel this horribly about the situation, imagine how that poor mother feels. Seeing you again could dredge up bad memories. But then, seeing someone who knows what she went through could be a great comfort, too." She folded one leg over the other, crossing her arms just under her chest. "You'll never know unless you try. And a hero's work isn't done until you can say with certainty that the victim is safe and secure."

Shota rolled his eyes, but he knew she was right. If nothing else, seeing her and talking to her about this would help him move on far better than any therapist would. He would be confronting the issue head on as the therapist wanted, and that idea was terrifying. But at least it would be on his own terms. At least he'll be facing it with someone who was there. At least his friends were willing to face it with him. Not many had that luxury.

"…Alright. I'll get in contact with Tsukauchi. See if we can't set up a meeting with her, if that's what she wants," He conceded, taking a great step away from Hizashi as he threw his arms up and jeered triumphantly.

"I knew you'd see things our way, Shota! We'll be behind you every step of the way!"

"Yeah, yeah. Be quiet now, I have a phone call to make."

* * *

There'd be no more.

No more hugs and kisses that would illicit little screams of delight or ticklish giggles. No more sounds of Hercules on repeat in the background while Hitomi wrote her reports and did the household chores. No more shopping carts full of pink clothes. No more fairy tales at bed time or cuddling together on the couch after a long day. No more round, blue eyes, like her mother's and grandfather's, framed by her father's dark lashes. No more calls from Dad to tell her the new crazy thing her daughter did to him that day or from her mother about all the fun they had at Mom-mom's.

There'd be no more, because there's was no more Yui.

She chanted it in her head like a mantra for days on end since her first therapy session. That was a week ago. Her little girl had been dead and buried for two weeks now, and still she couldn't remember. The truth hung over Hitomi's head like a storm cloud, constantly raining down over her and blocking out all light and color from the world around her. Even the few times she was made to walk around the hospital courtyard with her parents didn't help.

And that was just as sad, she thought, in moments where she could think beyond the mind-numbing emptiness that swallowed her whole. That she couldn't see the color in the flowers she'd adored so much for most of her life.

There was a rose garden in the hospital courtyard, and her parents took her there first. Filled with all sorts of roses. If things were different, if she could surely tell herself that Yui was at home with a babysitter, and that she'd visit that day or be at home when Hitomi got out of the hospital, she was sure that she could look at each one and revel in their presence as if greeting an old acquaintance after years of separation.

She'd had a rose garden like that once. It was monochromatic compared to the rainbow that thrived in the courtyard, but it was hers and she loved it. After having Yui and picking up the pieces in the wake of Seijo's death, it died of neglect. Her father had helped her tear it out and clean it up (under the guise of All Might, much to the neighbor children's delight. It had gone significantly faster, he'd practically gutted everything in one fell swoop. And the neighbor kids chartered on about how cool it was that Officer Sato got help from the number one hero). A few months ago, she'd finally gotten around to starting it over again, planting not only roses, but a plethora of flowers in their wake. She should have known better. If course it would just fall to ruin again, like every good thing in her life.

"Hitomi, look!" Toshinori cried, running from the wheelchair she perched in to pluck a flower from the bush. He quickly made his way back, large spindly hands covering it from her view. He knelt in front of her, taller than ever even in this form, unfurling his hands to reveal a lavender rose. Hitomi tried weakly to muster up some sort of emotion to show him but the action proved too taxing. She just stared at it blankly. "This was the first flower I ever gave your mother. I liked lavender roses because they reminded me of her eyes." He blushed a bit at the memory, his free hand moving to rub the back of his neck. He smiled, small and bashful as he reaches up and tucked the bloom behind her ear. Hitomi found herself sinking into it slightly, the intense heat his skin gave off thanks to his quirk was enough for her to feel and seek solace in.

"They mean, 'love at first sight,'" she muttered quietly, barely a whisper.

Toshinori perked up, his smile growing a bit. "Yes! And when the woman at the flower shop told me, I knew they were the perfect choice!" He laughed, the sound rumbling in his chest. Hitomi sighed deeply, reaching her arms out to him as she did to her mother as a child. Toshinori knew what it meant, and he leaned forward to hold her in his arms. Hitomi sighed, listening to his labored breaths as he stared off in the distance behind her. She'd needed this frequently in the last week. She craved physical contact and comforting embraces in moments when emotions threatened to spill over and she needed some semblance of control. An anchor. This job frequently fell to Toshinori and Atsuko.

Toshinori absently stroked her hair, hoping to relax her. "You know, when I told her what they meant, she punched me."

Hitomi snorted. It caught both off guard, but neither drew attention to it. Toshinori didn't want to scare her away from making progress by drawing too much attention to it. He chuckled, his grip tightening a little. "She was such a delinquent, but I thought she was the most amazing girl I'd ever met. Even after almost twenty years, when I came across lavender roses I still remembered that crazy woman as if it were yesterday."

"Why didn't you go back to her?" Hitomi muttered against his chest, tone bland.

Toshinori frowned. It was a simple question, he knew she didn't mean anything by it. But it was a question he still hadn't found an answer to, after all these years.

"…I was afraid," he muttered, settling on that for the time being. "It's significantly more complicated than that, but… the first thing that comes to mind is that I was afraid to face her again after all that time." He gently pulls back so that he can look at her face. Her eyes are downcast, bruised by insomnia. She'd lost a bit of weight too, a lack of appetite due to the stress. Thin-cheeked and hallowed of eyes, he felt like he was looking into a mirror and the idea made his insides churn in terror. He needed to fatten her up, if not for her own sake, then for his own peace of mind.

"Ah! The cafeteria has strawberry cream cake today! Let's go get you some, ey? That'll perk you up! Whaddya say?" He tries to smile as heroically as his alter ego, to project the same enthusiasm he would at work. It was vain, as his real form was so sickly and scary-looking, but he didn't know what else to do. He'd saved many people before but had never been an active part of their healing process afterward.

Hitomi shook her head minutely, the rose falling out of her hair and into her lap. "Not hungry."

"You don't have to be hungry to enjoy sweets! Besides, strawberry cake is your favorite!"

"...Not hungry," she repeats, her lips wobbling.

Toshinori is quick to concede, "O-Okay, don't worry honey, I won't force you. But… I think I'd like a slice, if you don't mind us stopping there on our way back…?"

"…okay."

Hitomi had offered to hold the cake for him as he pushed her back to the hospital room. Unfortunately, it was not empty.

"Dammit, Toshinori!" Atsuko shouted, turning her head quickly to glare at him from the recliner in the corner. "You and Hitomi both should be resting! You're supposed to have the IV drip in at all times!"

Hitomi could feel the clatter of the handlebars as Toshinori jumped. "Atsu, I'm fine. I just wanted to take a walk in the garden with Hitomi, get some fresh air. Besides, it's just water, it's not as if I can't drink it myself."

"That's not the point! You're overworked and dehydrated, and your fever hasn't subsided!"

"I run hot all the time, it's a side effect of my quirk! You're just being paranoid!"

"I think a little paranoia is totally healthy when both my daughter and her father are both in the hospital trying to recover-"

"Mom. Dad picked a flower for you," Hitomi cut in, holding out the lavender rose to Atsuko, who had long since made her way over to stand over Hitomi.

Atsuko blinked, staring down at the beautiful bloom in her daughter's hand. It took her a minute, but a look of recognition crossed her face, and she looked at Toshinori, wide-eyed. "This is… did you… is that really for me?"

Hitomi listened quietly, silently willing her father to stop stuttering like an idiot. "Erm, well, yes! Yes, I did! I, ah, remembered it from when we were kids, so…." Toshinori's face blazed red. What was Hitomi thinking, putting him on the spot like that?

Atsuko carefully plucked the rose from Hitomi's hand, eyes watering. "…Well, how can I be mad at that…? Damn you, shithead. Just… just go get back in the bed before I give them a reason to extend your stay!" with that, she turned on her heel and walked back to her recliner, ears burning and eyes downcast. Toshinori bent beside Hitomi, eyebrows knit in embarrassed frustration.

"Thanks for getting me out of trouble. Never do that again."

It almost made her smile, but the effort weighed in her chest and she covered it with a heavy sigh. Atsuko helped Hitomi back into her bed, setting the untouched cake on the table, then proceeded to practically force Toshinori into his, reapplying his drip. She'd worked in a nursing home before, having to deal with pesky old people like him on numerous occasions. Ones that enjoyed ripping out their needles, running around willy-nilly, and doing things without permission.

"Your age is showing, Toshinori," Atsuko muttered, sticking him with the needle none too gently.

His head spun to look at her, mouth agape. "Ow! You're one to talk, I see those grey hairs creeping in at your temples- OW!" He grabbed her hand, tearing it away from his wrist. "Stop that! What are you, a child?"

"So which is it, am I a hag or a child you string bean bastard?" She grits, face comically red with anger.

"I can't help that I look like this!"

"Neither can I, so don't point it out!"

"You started this, don't bring this back around on me! OW! Shit, Atsuko, I'm not kidding around-"

"Neither am I! You wanna fight, I'll fight ya! Number one hero or not, you got nothing on a Mom, bucko!"

"Shut. The hell. Up," Hitomi ground out, still laying stationary in her cot with her arms planted firmly at her sides, staring at the ceiling as her eye twitched. Toshinori and Atsuko exchanged a look, agreeing to a silent truce, as they settled and continued quietly.

"See? Mom's are scary," Atsuko mumbled.

And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Hitomi smiled only for a second before the dam she'd built in her mind to keep her emotions at bay came crashing down. She threw her arms over her face, biting down hard on her lower lip but it was no use. There was no stopping the sobs that wracked her body. Atsuko immediately stopped her work on Toshinori, picking Hitomi up under the arms and sitting her up so that she could hug her tightly. "Baby, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to do that, that was so insensitive, I'm sorry."

Hitomi wanted to tell her it was fine, that this was only the first of many tears she would shed anytime someone mentioned her failed status, but she couldn't. She couldn't even find the strength to pick her arms up and hug Atsuko back. She was so weak, so tired and frustrated and sad. When would this end? How long would it take before she could smile and laugh and love life again? It had only been a week, but it already felt like an eternity.

Toshinori didn't move, couldn't with the new needles in his hand and wrist. And even if he could, what would he have been able to do that Atsuko wasn't doing at that very moment? She knew Hitomi inside and out. Despite the six years they'd been in each other's lives, despite how much they'd shared, how well did Toshinori really know his daughter? He felt a shiver of self-loathing go through his body. Self-loathing for his incompetence. Self-loathing for his absence in Hitomi's life, once more. And self-loathing for the tremendous envy he felt watching Atsuko console their child unflinchingly.

He watched glumly as Hitomi cried herself to sleep in Atsuko's arms. The burgundy brunette carefully rested her on her pillow, brushing frizzy strands of golden hair from her daughter's wet face. She looked at Toshinori briefly, then turned away, shamefaced. "Honestly, I would look at me that way too."

"What? I wasn't-"

"Toshi, it bothers you. It's understandable," Atsuko sighed, tucking Hitomi in and moving over to sit next to him on the bed, facing away from him. "And you might think that I'm close to her, that we're best of friends and she tells me everything, that I know everything about her. But I don't."

"I knew it- you are a witch." He chuckled, thinking that maybe her quirk had been mind-reading all along.

"Bite me, asshole," She chuckled.

Atsuko folded her hands in her lap. She was in her late forties and blessed with a face that made her look at least ten years younger, but her weathered and spider-veined hands showed her true age. "I had a problem with alcohol when we were kids, you know that. Drove my mom fucking insane and into an early grave. I stopped when I had Hitomi. But as she got older I kept trying to solve my problems with alcohol again. I just didn't know how to cope. Hell, I've been sober for almost five years and I still get that itch when shit goes south. I don't even remember most of her childhood up until she was thirteen."

"And when she was a teenager- God, don't even get me started on that," Atsuko laughed, a few ringlets falling from her bun as she shook with bitter laughter. "She reminded me so much of you that I drank everything like water."

"That supposed to make me feel better?" He asked, reaching out and placing his free hand over hers. She unfolded them from her lap, taking his hand and tracing his heartlines with a finger absentmindedly. The question was rhetorical; It wasn't. She and Torino may have been the ones for the idea, but he knew in his heart that a part of her resented him for it, wished he had fought harder for a future with them. A part of him resented himself for that, as well.

"It's supposed to help you understand that we both fucked up. That we both could have been there for her and we weren't. It's not your burden to bear alone…" Atsuko trailed off. "Some parents we turned out to be. You and I were a walking disaster from day one."

Toshinori couldn't help but laugh. A small, wry smile curled Atsuko's bare lips. "I mean, think about it. We fought like cats and dogs, fucked like rabbits, ended up with a child we had no business having…"

Despite one of those things making his cheeks blaze red again, he felt a pang of defensiveness go through him at her last remark. Atsuko felt it in the way his hand twitched.

"…But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as a feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed him.

"The only thing that I would go back and change… was that we put Hitomi first, before ourselves. Maybe then… Maybe she wouldn't… Maybe we would-"

His hand clenched around hers, and she didn't need to turn around to know he had begun to cry. She curled in on herself, shoulders shaking as she brought his hand to her face and soaked it with tears, clinging to it like a lifeline.

"Maybe… this is where we start doing better. Start changing. Maybe it's not too late."

Atsuko looked back at him, nodding as she climbed further in the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck and soaking his shoulder. He returned the gesture, soft curls smelling of lilac tickling his face. God, he didn't realize how badly he needed her embrace, too.

"We'll be better. And we'll overcome everything," Atsuko mumbled. "For her."

A knock at the door alerted them to the presence of others. Atsuko sighs, slowly untangling herself from Toshinori as she cleans her face on her sleeve. "I'll get that."

Toshi nodded, also wiping his face but sparing a moment to look at his daughter's sleeping face from across the room. This time, he had a renewed hope, albeit a small one. No longer did he feel envy or self-loathing. Well, maybe a little self-loathing still. Atsuko's words had given him something to think about, something that he could use, turn into a positive. He made a solemn vow to her inside his head and heart as he watched the rising and falling of her chest, the action cathartic to see in the wake of recent events.

'I swear to you, I'll make sure that your mother and I will be the parents we never were. We'll get through this as a family. You won't be alone. We're here for you, our darling girl.'

"Hello Ms. Iyashino," Naomasa's voice sounds from the doorway. Toshinori's head perks up at the sound of his best friend's voice. "Is this a good time? There's a visitor here to see Hitomi. I can send him away, however, if you prefer."

Atsuko looked back at Toshinori, question unspoken. 'What do you think?'

Toshinori nodded. "As long as he doesn't wake her up."

Naomasa entered the room, with one very familiar hero behind him. Toshinori bolted upright in the bed. "All Might, this is Eraserhead. He was going to be your colleague at U.A. before the withdrawal," Naomasa said, hat held close to his chest as he bowed. His eyes, too, were lined with shadows of exhaustion.

"…This man is All Might?" Eraserhead asked with an edge of skepticism. Naomasa exhaled, giving him an apologetic smile.

Toshinori flushed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well… I suppose you would have found out at the orientation, regardless. But… Yes. I am All Might. This is my true form."

Toshinori didn't miss the way the man's eyes flashed with recognition, body tensing at his words. He frowned deeply, looking at Eraserhead pitifully. "How are you holding up, Eraserhead?"

"How am I…" Eraserhead mouthed the words sarcastically back with barely a sound, looking back and forth between the sleeping detective and the sickly hero with barely concealed confusion. "I wondered how you knew her. I thought she was lying but you-"

His voice caught in his throat. His eyes growing, only a fraction but enough to see the pieces falling into place as the pieces fell into place.

"That little girl was your granddaughter. Detective Sato is your daughter."

Atsuko flinched but braced herself, ready to force the man twice her size and weight out of the room with all her strength if he so much as said the wrong thing. Naomasa bent forward and placed a hand on Atsuko's shoulder to steady her, to reassure her that she didn't have to jump to the defense.

And Toshinori? He felt the weight of the world bear down on his shoulders once more.

His head hung down toward his lap, and he looked and felt so sad and pathetic it was embarrassing to be in the presence of this younger, much more capable hero. Eraserhead slowly turned to look at the young woman sleeping in the bed. Face still wet and messy from crying- eyes dark, cheeks sunken-

"…How long has she been here?"

Atsuko's fists clenched. The small woman bit her lip. "Since the funeral. She hasn't been eating. She does nothing but sleep. The therapy sessions don't seem to be doing anything for her. She barely speaks and cries over the smallest things. She's not herself. I'm not sure she ever will be again," She hides her face in her hands and cries softly as Naomasa reaches out to her for comfort. Eraserhead disappears behind his scarf and unruly hair, face now hidden to the rest of the room.

Without another word, the black clad man drags his feet out the door, leaving Toshinori to wonder why he even went there in the first place if that was all he had to say.


End file.
